Singapore MRT

中文版本

Many tour books and tour websites acclaim the Singapore MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) as inexpensive and convenient - one of the best mass transit systems in the world. However, compared to the Hong Kong MTR (Mass Transit Railway), the Singapore MRT is somewhat inferior.

Here are some observations we made during the trip:

- Inside each Hong Kong MTR car, there are maps above each door with indicator lights showing the passengers what the next stop is and which side of the car to alight/exit. Since the Singapore MRT does not offer this kind of map, you have to pay close attention to the PA system.

- The maps found both before and after the gates are not clear enough. For example, when we visited Merlion Park (a famous tourist attraction), we arrived at Raffles Place NS26/EW14 but the local maps at the station did not make it obvious how to walk to Merlion Park. Ultimately, we had to ask several locals along the way and we took so many unnecessary turns. Of course the torturously hot and humid weather in Singapore made the walk even more unbearable. MRT could really do a lot to make it more convenient for tourists.

- The customer service staff apparently did not know much about the local area. One evening, we planned to go to Maxwell Food Center (a common dining destination for both locals and tourists). When we arrived at the Chinatown station (NE4), we asked a customer service staff which station exit to use, friendly as he was, he could not answer us with certainty. Eventually, he gave us an answer but unfortunately, the exit he mentioned was not the most direct and convenient exit. We ended up taking an unnecessarily long route. Again. (Thanks to MRT.)

- We would not consider the MRT staff polite and they certainly did not try to be helpful. On the second day of the trip, we decided to buy the Tourist Pass at the Bugis Station (EW12). We walked up to the counter to ask about the Visitor Card (at that time, we forgot the name of the pass, which is Tourist Pass) and we were told that MRT did not sell Visitor Card anymore. We asked her again and she told us again that MRT did not sell that anymore. After we left the counter, we checked our information guide and found that the pass was now called the Tourist Pass. So, we got in line again and was finally able to buy the Tourist Pass. We wish the MRT staff could have been more helpful and simply told us that the Visitor Card had changed its name to Tourist Pass. We could only expect that many tourists are interested in purchasing the Tourist Pass (after all, it is for tourists, right?) and certainly, not all of them would remember the exact name.

- The Singapore MRT ticketing machines are really slow. Even though we have never used the Hong Kong MTR ticketing machine (who needs ticketing machines when there is Octopus Card), we would expect the Hong Kong machines to be faster. Anyway, the Singapore MRT ticketing machines are really, really, really slow.

Finally, when you buy a single-trip ticket, you have to pay a S$1 deposit in addition to the fare. Once you arrive at the destination, remember to put the ticket back into the ticketing machine to refund the deposit. Although it is a little inconvenient, for the sake of conserving resources and the environment, the slight inconvenience is worth it.

Links:
Singapore - Strictly for Students in KFC
Singapore Airport (Changi Airport)
Singapore Food
Singapore Food - Roti Prata
Singapore Food - Chicken Rice
Singapore Food - Ka Kun Kaya Toast
Singapore Food - Bak Kut Teh
Singapore Souvenirs - Yakult vs. Vitagen
Singapore Souvenirs - Instant Noodles
Singapore Souvenirs - Fong Moon Kee
Singapore - Other Souvenirs
Singapore - Sun Protection
Singapore - New 7th Storey Hotel
Airplane food on Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airline