Studies show that the decision-making process involved in choosing which route to take can be a major cause of stress for both private and public transport users. Aside from passenger crowding and road congestion, commuters also worry about unpredictable factors like weather and service availability.

This observation is true, even in progressive countries like Singapore. To remedy the situation, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) worked on improving their transport system. They began to set up a system that runs like clockwork to provide commuters a reliable transportation service and ease the stress of the daily commute.

What is Commute Stress? 

Commute stress is defined as the difficulty that a commuter experiences, going from one place to another. The stress people feel from their early morning commute tends to interfere with the other aspects of their life.

This can negatively impact their sense of well-being and tend to trigger other issues regarding health, punctuality at work, and reduced quality time with family. 

Long Commute and Subjective Well-being

Spending hours for a one-way commute takes a toll on a person’s subjective well-being and affect their overall satisfaction in life, leisure time, and spare time. So much so that commuters feel deeply frustrated over their inability to use their time for something more productive rather than sitting in traffic or waiting on a crowded platform to catch the train home. 

In business districts, especially in highly urbanised places like Singapore, an efficient and reliable transit network is crucial to employees and workers. Punctuality is very important in the Singaporean culture and people make an effort to always arrive on time, if not earlier. 

In the early 90s, the North-South MRT lines opened for the first time, and commuters preferred to use this mode of transport as it gets them to their destination faster.

To provide better service to the riding public, SMRT opened the rest of the lines in stages and had all 42 lines operational in July 1990. They completed the project two years ahead of schedule but the road to success wasn’t a smooth and easy one. 

The worst recorded service interruption in SMRT’s history occurred in 2015, stranding thousands of passengers and crowding bus stops for almost 3 hours. This was followed by flooding and more service disruptions in 2017, which was also a turning point for SMRT.

Steps that SMRT has done to improve customer experience

When Chairman Seah Moon Ming took leadership in SMRT, he vowed to improve the system, inside-out. He immediately focused on employee welfare and engagement and laid out plans to improve the train service. 

The chairman introduced the Kaizen method in the organisation and this method was applied in their processes and programs. As a result, the organisational teams worked more efficiently and have a clearer understanding of their individual work and shared goals.

Little by little, the commuters started benefiting from the changes happening internally and on the ground. Commuters started noticing physical improvements at the stations, which in turn had a positive effect in their overall satisfaction with the service and their daily commute.

While problems cannot be avoided 100% of the time, SMRT has significantly increased their service reliability rating as well as their customer satisfaction ratings. In 2018, Chairman Seah appointed a chief commuter engagement officer who will be responsible in aligning improvements with the needs of the riding public.

Continuous Improvement and Upgrades

SMRT takes customer feedback to heart. Through the years, they have continuously rolled out improvements that customers find useful and beneficial to them. Customers also say that they’re more satisfied with the current service and that they see how the staff is constantly working to make their riding journey more comfortable.

Some major improvements are the installation of digital boards that display schedule announcements and answers to frequently asked questions. This makes information available and accessible to the public, and it keeps them updated. SMRT also uses social media to share updates regarding train schedule changes or service interruption reports.

Further upgrades were done amidst the pandemic, to ensure the health and safety of the staff and the riding public. Commonly used touch points have been replaced with no-contact systems, to avoid the spread of the virus. Virtual payments and e-receipts systems have become more reliable, giving customers a safer and quicker way to make payments and generate receipts.

The health of the entire train system has vastly improved, resulting in higher service reliability and creating a more positive journey experience for the customer. 

A reliable transportation system can contribute to the overall subjective well-being of a country’s riding public. When commuters have access to various transportation options that operate in a systematic order, it results in a positive riding experience and a happier, healthier commuter population.