If you do not know what a bus conductor does, especially the younger generations, he or she is someone who issue bus tickets on the bus before the smart card system was invented for bus.
I remember I used to ask my dad which bus to take if I'm going to a particular place. It's quite amazing that he not only could tell me what number to take, he can even tell me the frequency of the particular bus number. And if there's no direct bus to my destination, he told me exactly where to alight, which bus number to transfer to at the same bus stop I alighted or to cross opposite, and which are the buses I could take if there are alternatives.
And in case you are not sure if a particular bus number goes to your destination, you could ask the driver or the bus conductor and they could dispense the same knowledgeable information like my father did.
Sometimes back, I saw an elderly man getting up a bus. He asked the driver if the bus passes by a particular building. As the driver is from China, he told the man he is not sure even though the bus passes by the said destination.
Talking about public transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore announced a two-year trial to improve bus reliability. It uses a reward and penalty system where the bus operators could be fine between $1,300 to $4,000 for every 6 seconds delay or rewarded between $2,000 to $6,000 for every 6 seconds improvement from the baseline.
In deciding the reward or penalty, the Excess Waiting Time (EWT) will be used. This is calculated by comparing the commuter’s Actual Waiting Time (AWT) and the Scheduled Waiting Time (SWT) and the EWT score will then be compared to a baseline score, which will differs from service to service
This is a shift from checking departures of buses from interchanges to tracking bus stop arrivals.
Are you confused?
How likely will this trial improve bus reliability? It's too early to say.
All bus operators already have their own schedules for their buses. What time does each bus leave the terminal, how long will the journey be on average, how many trips per day per bus route are all planned and followed.
If you've taken Singapore's bus, you must have your share of frustrations. Imagine waiting 35 minutes for a bus and then seeing 3 arriving at the same time. Or the bus came but it's too packed and you couldn't get up the bus until the 4th one. That's why everyone says, the bus you are waiting never arrives and when you are not waiting, keeps coming.
And you probably have experienced some bus drivers driving like they were on a cruise doing some sight-seeing. The speed is so slow that even a cyclist is faster. Or you'll be on a bus that speed like a F1 racer. One is ahead of schedule and have to slow down while the other is behind schedule and had to speed up.
That is the problem they want to address - Ensuring consistent bus services at regular intervals.
Now we have the incentive/penalty trial, what do you think will happens?
I do not know if the bus operators already have any rewards or penalty system in place for their drivers. But judging from my experience, it looks like there are. Otherwise, how do you explain for the actions of the drivers?
If there is already a system in place and condition is not improving, how will another similar system be able to improve situation?
For the LTA's trial, this will means additional cost for the bus operators if they are fined. On the other hand, it is additional income if they are rewarded.
What do you think the management is going to do?
Will they flow down the information to the bus drivers involved in this trial? Will they tweak the schedule or implement some new initiatives so that they will not be fined or even be rewarded? Will the bus drivers involved be pressured knowing the management and authority are keeping tab on this trial? Will the management issues instructions that will pressure the drivers? Will the drivers' salary be deducted if the company is fined? Will the drivers get to share the reward if the company meets the goal?
Which is greater - The fear of loss or the benefit of gain?