It’s all over the news. Social media was bombed last night with the same trending topic: SMRT MAJOR BREAKDOWN, with up to 250,000 commuters affected. In what could possibly be the worst breakdown for SMRT to date, train services on both the North-South and East-West line was completely halted for several hours, during the evening peak hour around 7pm. This is the first time the train services on two lines were affected and halted at the same time. A power fault had affected trains along the North-South and East-West Lines, and SMRT mentioned that this led to a system-wide disruption along the entire line. Many were left stranded and even stuck in the train and there was even a blackout in the train for a while. Let’s take a look at the photos and comments of the massive breakdown of Singapore’s very-heavily-relied-upon transport system.
The crowd waiting for train service to resume…
Sorry for the inconvenience caused…
And the bus queue at Ang Mo Kio interchange…
The hoard of people at bus stops…
(Source: Straits Times)
Commuters trying to squeeze up the ALREADY-PACKED bus…
(Source: Today Online)
The famous comparison between what is always breaking down in Singapore…
(Source: Stomp Singapore)
The dismal results of Uber’s opportunistic surcharge…
Of course, this can be the most memorable: who would’ve thought that Singapore is SO BIG that you have to pay hundred?! dollars just to get home. Uber’s surcharge of up to 5 times during such a time, especially when people are desperate to get home, was terrible. I mean come on, why are we letting a company from U.S. earn all our money??? GrabTaxi would be a much better alternative, just because Temasek Holdings owns it. Because if we Singaporeans are going to use this service, we should support our own right? Just saying. Anyway, it was mentioned that GrabTaxi was not available so this commuter had to settle for Uber. Aside from this Uber commuter, many are also asking for compensation.
Comment from k-pop star Alexander!
(Source: Alexander’s Instagram)
“It took me more than an HOUR to return home and this is the behind story. Today, MRT (metro) in Singapore had a problem (power shortage) so EVERYONE was trying to grab a taxi. I was around Chinatown and since there was no taxi, I decided to take any bus to Orchard first. (Yes! I took a bus alone! LOL) I asked some random guy at the bus stop bout the route and he was so NICE and HELPFUL. Afterwards, I went on the bus and asked the driver/uncle how much the fare was, and surprisingly, he just asked me to get in and sit, and I didn’t have to pay. I don’t care whether it is right or wrong for him to do so, but my heart felt so WARM. It is NOT about the money but his action. This uncle knew the situation about transportation shortage and was trying to help fix the situation. Isn’t this just so PLEASANT? After exploring the city alone, I really feel that Singaporeans are so NICE and FRIENDLY and I like how they really think for their society/country. I was totally IMPRESSED. And this is definitely why Singapore is so strong n successful as one. Anyway, so I reached the taxi stand in Orchard and waited with other people. Thought it was a long wait, I actually had a good time chatting with some people there. I am glad I extended my flight (was supposed to leave today) because I saw a different side of this beautiful country. Singaporeans should be proud of your own country. Happy SG50! Viva Singapore!❤️ #Xander #Singapore #exploring #alone#bus #taxi #busstop #taxistand#homesweethome #tiredbutworth#eyeopening #impressed #SGsoShiok”
It’s good to know that Alexander has such praises for Singapore! This is reminding Singaporeans to be gracious, especially in situations like these. The buses that are deployed are driven around by somebody’s family member, who are most probably working overtime for you. Our train tracks and systems are old, and we all don’t want to pay them so much (ahem) for something that keeps breaking down. However, they are all doing what they can, and we should appreciate the people working to help us, as well as also offer help whenever we can. Sometimes a small gesture will go a long way.
Written by Kaiting