Review SMRT’s capacity to handle future Johor-Singapore rail link

I am dismayed by the repeated engineering shortfalls that have caused countless disruptions to the MRT lines.

A few months back, it was announced that SMRT and Malaysia’s metro operator Prasarana Malaysia had committed to form a joint venture company to design and build, as well as to operate and maintain the trains, tracks and systems for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. The link will be connected to Singapore’s upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line, which has also been awarded to SMRT to operate.

Now, we are not so sure that with SMRT’s engineering experience, it is able to deliver in terms of service performance in future.

It is timely for LTA to reconsider and maybe even revoke the operating rights given to SMRT.

The Government will be setting a wrong precedence by awarding contracts to what appears to the public like an incompetent operator with speculative desires to improve its act.

In terms of performance, SBS Transit seems to have achieved a stronger track record in operating the North-East Line than SMRT’s relatively younger Circle Line.

LTA should allow SMRT to focus on the existing lines under its purview and not dilute resources to new lines.