In the article “TRAINS ON THE
NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST LINES SAFE FOR SERVICE”, the Land Transport Authority
(LTA, 2016) wrote that despite undergoing rectification works, the trains that
have been in the media spotlight are safe for service.
According to LTA, all new trains
are tested before they are put into service. For defective trains, immediate
action was taken to prevent defects from resurfacing during train operation.
Hairline cracks that were
discovered during inspection were confirmed to not affect operational safety.
Nevertheless, to ensure that there are sufficient trains for commuters, all
affected trains were being sent back, one at a time, for rectification.
Stringent checks would also be performed regularly to ensure operational safety
of all trains. This article was written to clarify that safety was never
compromised despite having defects on the trains, and extensive measures were
taken to rectify the problem.
In my opinion, the issue was
handled systematically by the respective parties, otherwise more time would
have been wasted, as well as, inconvenience to the commuters.
The Straits Times webpage interviewed
Mr Khaw (2016), in which he said that an independent accessor, TUV Rheinland assured
that the trains are operationally safe. The trains can withstand three times the
maximum stress during operations, not having to compromise the safety margin. "According
to SIM University senior lecturer Park Byung Joon (2016), he stated that the
cracks on the train does not compromise safety as long as they are being monitored.
An example he had given, was that most people never knew that airplanes also have
cracks. Commuters should be assured that stress tests are being conducted and
are guaranteed safe for operation.
Additionally, Channel News Asia (2016)
suggest that, the matter involving the hairline cracks were handled systematically;
In addition, instead of pushing the blame, they took action by taking responsibility
and rectified the problem. Such as, extended warranty period for the train
parts and that Kawaksaki-Sifang arranged replacement for all 26 bolsters and
car bodies.
The Straits Times (2016) article
also attempts to relief the tension in the public by answering one of the key
issues raised, “Why was the issue not made public earlier?”. Response
was, safety was never an issue and responsibility was taken on by the
manufacturers; Moreover, there are sufficient trains for the commuters, if the issue
was not handled up to satisfaction, only then would the situation be
publicized. In this article, many questions were answered by Mr Khaw himself
and his intention was clear that he did not want to create public unrest due to
this issue.
In conclusion, the respective
parties involved in the situation have done well rectifying the problem by
addressing the public’s concern, as well as, ensuring sufficient trains for
commuters.
References:
Khaw (2016, Aug 17). Cracks on
MRT trains: Khaw addresses key issues raised. The Straits times. Retrieved from
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/cracks-on-mrt-trains-khaw-addresses-key-issues-raised
Khaw (2016, July 12). Minister Khaw
Boon Wan: I covered up the news of MRT train return. The Straits times review
page. Retrieved from
http://statestimesreview.com/2016/07/12/minister-khaw-boon-wan-i-covered-up-the-news-of-mrt-train-return/
Khaw (2016, Aug 16). Khaw:
Lessons to be learnt from defective SMRT trains incident. Channel
News Asia. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/lessons-to-be-learnt-from/3048928.html
The Straits Times (2016, Sept 10). Hairline cracks found on 11
Sengkang-Punggol LRT trains. The Straits times, Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/hairline-cracks-found-on-11-lrt-trains
Land Transport Authority (2016,
July 6). TRAINS ON THE NORTH-SOUTH AND
EAST-WEST LINES SAFE FOR SERVICE. LTA news page. Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=0f8b1220-0289-4bef-99c9b2455f17a66c#_ftn1
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