ONE MORE! EVEN FASTER!!
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080802/tap-326-sbs-transit-smrt-submit-applicat-231650b.htmlSBS Transit, SMRT submit applications for fare adjustmentsSINGAPORE : The wheels are in motion for another round of public transport fare hikes. Singapore’s two public transport operators, SBS Transit and SMRT, have submitted their applications to the Public Transport Council (PTC) for fare adjustments.
However, both companies would not give specifics as to the quantum requested.
SBS Transit and SMRT attributed the need for a fare increase to soaring energy and fuel prices.
SMRT said even a maximum fare adjustment of 3 per cent will not fully mitigate the inflationary pressures.
(Ofcourse la! Greed is never ending!)The company said its energy costs rose by 18 per cent to nearly S$90 million due mainly to higher electricity and diesel prices.
Diesel cost for buses amounted to more than S$42 million, 17 per cent higher than the last financial year.
SBS Transit said it is proposing to keep concession, children and students fares unchanged.
While the new fare formula allows for the maximum adjustment to be capped at 3 per cent, the PTC has said that any increase this year is likely to be less than the 1.8 per cent hike imposed last year.
Bus fares went up by 1 to 2 cents last October, while train fares remained unchanged, because the PTC deemed that SMRT had healthy profits last year.
The PTC will decide on the adjustment in September, and the new fares will take effect in October.
Separately, the Competition Commission of Singapore has rejected the Singapore School Transport Association’s application to impose a fuel surcharge and the need for a collective price recommendation.
It said guidelines restrict independent pricing decisions, which is against free competition. However, the commission has no objections to fare increases, so long as it is decided on individually by bus operators.
It added that it is monitoring the situation and will launch an investigation if it has reasons to suspect that prices are being coordinated among the school bus operators. — CNA/ms
Can smell another hike on its way.....
SP Services upgrades billing systemBy Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 23 July 2008 2117 hrs
SINGAPORE: SP Services, a member of the Singapore Power Group, is upgrading its billing system, which it said will improve its quality of customer service and cater to future business needs.
A company spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia that the software upgrade has nothing to do with recent complaints by its customers about seemingly inflated electricity bills.
SP Services said plans to upgrade its billing software came about two years ago. The company added it is normal practice for IT systems to be upgraded after five to 10 years as technology and business requirements change over time.
It said the new system will give the company the flexibility in the future to introduce new features such as better management of customer enquiries through the use of a customer relationship management.
There will be no change to the billing format for customers with the new Enterprise Business System, which will go live on August 9.
During the migration period, SP Services said some e-services will be temporarily suspended.
To help customers with specific service requests, customer service operation hours will be extended one week before and after the system cutover. All customer services will resume on August 11.
A record number of complaints about overcharging for electricity were investigated by Singapore Power in June. More than 1,000 complaints were looked into. Singapore Power has said that there were no billing errors.
It attributed the spike in household electricity consumption to several factors. The main reason, it said, was that charges for April were underestimated. - CNA/vm
OMG......
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/362286/1/.html
