These days, there's one item I must have every time I ride the MRT: my earphones.
The music transports me to another world where I'm not in a crowded carriage, and where I'm not standing in the slightest sliver of space between two other strangers.
Thousands of others aren't happy with this new norm either, going by the latest commuter satisfaction survey results released last Tuesday.
Overall satisfaction with Singapore's public transport fell to 88.5 per cent last year, down by 0.3 percentage point from the year before.
This was the lowest since the survey began in 2006.
People were particularly dissatisfied with the waiting time, reliability and service of MRT trains. Satisfaction with the rail service dropped from 92.1 per cent in 2012 to 88.9 per cent last year.
Yet at the same time, the authorities have been going full steam ahead to fix the flaws in public transport, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew. Last Tuesday in Parliament, he gave an update on what has been done so far.
To increase rail capacity, 13 new trains are being added to the North-South and East-West lines this year. Four have already begun running.
To make trains more reliable, SMRT spent 65 per cent more on repair and maintenance in the past two years, while SBS Transit spent 35 per cent more.
The maximum penalty for poor service performance was also raised last month.
There have been some results: Trains were pulled out of service due to faults 25 per cent less frequently last year.
But this isn't translating into more happy commuters because the reality on the ground is very different.
My initial grudging acknowledgement of the Government's efforts vanished when I recalled the MRT trains I have boarded on weekends.
Two words: It's awful.
A crowded train makes misanthropes out of most people, let alone a train that's part of a system suffering unprecedented breakdowns.
So, excuse us beleaguered commuters if we remain unconvinced by the authorities.
First, every time a train breakdown happens, it inconveniences the commuter.
This experience speaks a thousand words, and louder, than policy announcements.
Also, even though the majority of commuters are not affected by disruptions as rail reliability is close to 99.95 per cent, news of it is jarring to other commuters.
These are what stick in our memory, not rides during which the MRT didn't break down. And only visible, sweeping improvements can change minds about the state of affairs.
But this will not be immediate because new trains take time to be delivered and new rail networks take time to be built.
Nine more new trains for the North-South and East-West lines will arrive and be put into service between now and the end of this year.
From next year, 42 new trains will be added to the North East and Circle lines. These will hopefully help with crowdedness and waiting times but not right away.
The five new rail lines to be built will also double Singapore's rail network to 360km - but this will happen only by 2030, not overnight.
Mr Lui himself said as much last Tuesday, calling the improvement works "a lengthy and painstaking journey", though overall trends show that the ministry is moving in the right direction.
Until then, commuters should be aware that the infrastructure improvements will take time, and until then, there isn't much to do but bear with it.
But why must we now accept these crowded conditions as the new normal? It's reasonable to expect higher standards for a basic amenity like public transport.
Not many can switch to driving or taking cabs, or drastically alter schedules to catch trains that are not crowded. Not to mention that public transport has to be a palatable option if the Government wants fewer people to drive.
As it stands, the current system still isn't good enough. Breakdowns aside, the crowdedness during peak hours makes rides uncomfortable for all, save the lucky few who are able to get seats.
And until the train system turns the corner, I'm investing in a good pair of earphones.
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