Flip Flop On Fares Hike

I kinda don' get it.

One day you announce "adjustments" (hike) in train & bus fares.

And a couple of days later, you announce that the increase was being postponed.

I call that a clear case of flip flop. Brings back memories.

A decision is made, stick to your guns-lah. Then deal with the effects in the best way you can. GST (goods & services tax) or no GST.

The grounds for fare adjustments seem fair to me. Justified. After all, the last review was in 2009.

Why had there been no review from 2009 until today? Baffling. Unacceptable. You know the dire straits of public transport. The ongoing MRT project aside, our public transport is a sad affair. There has been improvement here and there, but overall, it is in quite a mess.

Is there a disconnect between the decision-makers, political masters and the situation on the ground that improving public transport is not considered terribly urgent.

The (fare) adjustments would spur an exercise to improve the taxi services in the Klang Valley. This decision follows a thorough study of what needs to be done to improve our public transport services overall.

The decision to increase fares by SPAD (The Land Public Transport Commission) certainly was not going be popular.

Any decision to increase goods and services is never popular. Nobody likes price hikes. That's the way we are.
And of course, the spectre of the GST is hovering, compelling the government to postpone the fare hike.

Personally, I felt it was justified and about time too seeing how this could fix some really bad problems in our public transport services and system. You have to start somewhere.

So what if it is unpopular. Besides, the decision to postpone ain't gonna make you popular, let me tell you that.

It is therefore,  status quo.

I know consumers and commuters got really upset by the announcement to increase the fares.

I am so politically incorrect when I say that it is a mistake to postpone the hike.. In the long-term it benefits no one -- not the regulators, not the operators and certainly not the consumers.

Perhaps, they are waiting for the MRT to begin operation before any increase is affected.

Let me express my concern -- the last review was in 2009. Don't wait too long.  It's not going to be a pretty picture.
Meanwhile - good luck!