Life | I'm Going Public!

Yes, I am.

No, no, not about any scandalous or juicy matters. Sorry to disappoint anyone.

Well... it is just about me taking the public bus to work again, after years of taking the more "private" cab daily. The trip from Tampines Avenue 9 to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.

The reason is simply because the cab fare has risen starting today to curb "overuse" of the cab service as some newspaper columnist said, or maybe to stabilize "demand over supply" as some may have put it.

Then again, maybe simply because it is already time for a "correction" of the fare being the last adjustment some 12 years ago. It very well be a combination of these reasons altogether.

So, to curb "overuse" of the service by yours truly, and "over-use" of my money on my monthly transport allowance, I have decided with great might to wake-up earlier and take the public bus Service 72 from home to work.

It is fortunately a one direct bus route to and fro, which is really, really convenient for me, but my laziness got the best of me.

I had to fork out about S$10.00 daily per trip of 11km from home to work for 22 days per month that works out to be about $220.00 before extras when I had to call for one which is about $4.00 each call during the peak hours.

Going back from work has always been by bus, which is about S$1.60 per trip or about S$35.20 per month.

So my transport expenses monthly have been hovering between S$250.00 and S$300.00. Still cheaper than owning a car, but way too lavish if compared to taking the bus.

Now it is only $3.20 each a day or works out to be S$70.40! A savings of about S$230.00 per month if I wish to sacrifice sleeping time. Well... not really, I can go to bed earlier.

Guess it really boils down to will power. There is always a way!

Hope the "way" will stay and I can better spend the money I will be saving on something I important or even simply saving it altogether.

What I am not willing to spend more on, I am willing to make amends by waking up an hour earlier for. On the revelation side, it proves to me how lazy I am every morning. I am ashamed.

Well... cab drivers need to earn a living too. I figured it was a win-win situation then, until the fare adjustment... I will lose.

Before today, peak hour surcharge was S$1.00 added onto the step-in metered fare of S$2.40. Starting today, peak hour surcharge is now doubled with the step-in fare an extra 10 cents.

The distance chargeable is now shorter for the meter to jump 10 cents each time, which I care not to elaborate. It is just too expensive for my blood.

The bus takes 35 minutes on the journey alone excluding waiting time of about 5 to 10 minutes, while the cab takes 15 minutes, if you can get one.

One is slow and the latter is fast. One is with a definitely frequency, the latter is random... luck is sometimes a suspect?

And what a will to change! I mean... it takes the government to make me save on money! Guess it works on on citizen, whatever the reason for the fare hike according to everyone may be.