PAP politicians are masters in the art of obfuscation and self-glorification.
Lui Tuck Yew is a good example.
1. Self-Glorification in Progress
In Parliament on Monday, Lui tried his luck at self-promotion by citing the rise in the percentage of cabs plying the road during peak hours from 82% in 2012 to 87% in the first 8 months of this year.
This translates to about 1,400 more taxis during peak periods.
In terms of mileage, he reported that the percentage of taxis plying at least 250km daily has increased from about 75 per cent to 78 per cent in the same period.
This is a 3% increase over 2 years which is hardly worth crowing about.
Given his ministerial appointment, Lui is the equivalent of a CEO in the private sector. If as a CEO he had presided over a 3% increase in for instance business growth over 2 years, there is little doubt he would have been asked to go.
But he has not been.
2. Between the Lines
Furthermore, Lui has not provided the complete account of the actual situation: While mileage has increased, how much of this is the result of cabs being hired via phone bookings?
Snaking queues at taxi stands in the CBD and Orchard area are still a common sight especially during peak hours and the magical hour of 4 pm when all the taxi drivers in Singapore seem to change shift simultaneously. Trying to hail a cab at this hour is a challenging, if not frustrating, affair.
3. A Tale of Two Cities
In contrast, it bears repeating the situation is much more pleasant in places like Hong Kong and Seoul which have much bigger population than Singapore.
Seoul for instance has a population of 10m, served by 73,000 cabs. This is equivalent to 1 cab for every 137 people.
Singapore in contrast has 28,100 cabs serving a population of 5.4m. This is equivalent to 1 cab for every 192 people.
Yet, it is so easy to get a cab in Seoul throughout the day compared to Singapore.
With so many successful templates for him to study and emulate, why is Lui not able to solve our taxi problem once and for all - instead of implementing such piece-meal measures and half-hearted pressure on the taxi companies? Is Lui afraid of Comfort Delgro and its majority shareholder Temasek Holdings?
Or is he, just like many of his colleagues in the cabinet, a man of limited capability hiding behind the million dollar pay cheque?
Watch Lui in action:
The Alternative View
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