SENIOR transport correspondent Christopher Tan's article ("Analysing train breakdowns, line by line"; March 26) brings into focus the issue of the lack of an independent body to analyse the problems in an objective way.
Currently, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is the provider as well as the regulator of rail systems.
The LTA's conflicting roles raise the question of whether operators can get a fair hearing when it comes to identifying the party responsible for shortcomings in the rail systems they operate.
In countries where rail systems are not operated by the builder and provider of the systems, an independent rail inspectorate exists to avoid such conflicts and to ensure a fair and unbiased finding for any problems.
With such an institution, any operator or the regulator can request an evaluation and investigation of problems.
Clearly, the time has come for Singapore to consider the establishment of such an independent inspectorate.
It might even be prudent to transfer the regulatory role from the LTA to the independent inspectorate.
It is noteworthy that in the early days of Singapore's MRT development, Singapore called upon the British Rail Inspectorate, now part of the British Office of Rail Regulation, when an independent view was required.
Today, Singapore has a sufficiently large rail network to justify its own inspectorate.
Bruno Wildermuth
Currently, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is the provider as well as the regulator of rail systems.
The LTA's conflicting roles raise the question of whether operators can get a fair hearing when it comes to identifying the party responsible for shortcomings in the rail systems they operate.
In countries where rail systems are not operated by the builder and provider of the systems, an independent rail inspectorate exists to avoid such conflicts and to ensure a fair and unbiased finding for any problems.
With such an institution, any operator or the regulator can request an evaluation and investigation of problems.
Clearly, the time has come for Singapore to consider the establishment of such an independent inspectorate.
It might even be prudent to transfer the regulatory role from the LTA to the independent inspectorate.
It is noteworthy that in the early days of Singapore's MRT development, Singapore called upon the British Rail Inspectorate, now part of the British Office of Rail Regulation, when an independent view was required.
Today, Singapore has a sufficiently large rail network to justify its own inspectorate.
Bruno Wildermuth
