It goes without saying that this blog has been rather quiet recently, due to many of the Team members being occupied by other necessary commitments in life, as well as our involvement in TM50. However, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been thinking about the future of STC, and neither are we letting slip a major milestone either. Today, allow us to share what’s in store for Singapore’s most outspoken (albeit silent) critic of her transport system, and where we are headed.
Never could I have imagined that one day I would be attempting to take on LTA at the policy level, in the form of creating an alternative to the Land Transport Master Plan. (That project, for those unaware, is STC’s Transport Manifesto 2050, run on its own website separate from the main blog). Definitely, these weren’t things on my mind when I started out as an angry internet commenter ranting about how public transport in Singapore was going to the dogs like many others would probably be doing on Facebook or in private group chats. (I still think we’re headed straight for disaster without serious reform, but anyway) Nonetheless, the butterfly effect of life works wonders in its own magical ways, and in a blink of an eye, half a decade has passed. 2020 didn’t feel like it was that long ago, when Covid-19 first hit our shores, when 171 and 700 were being axed for the Downtown Line.
Today, we mark five years since STC began. Initially just a small personal blog for my own transport-related rants, it has since expanded to become a community of its own, committed to the betterment of urban mobility in Singapore. The currently-ongoing TM50 project led and hosted by the STC Team is one such example of testing ourselves in the deep waters of transport planning’s numerous complexities. And we don’t intend to stop there too — we will continue to engage the wider community too, and find new ways to transform our passion for transportation into the active improvement of the very buses, trains, and streets we travel upon! Moving forward, we will also consider stakeholder engagement in the transport planning and management fields to translate advocacy into concrete action. Those bytes we spend online aren’t for nothing!
With that said, let’s take a look back on some major milestones in STC’s growth from one man, to the collective power of many:
July 2020: The Beginnings
SG Transport Critic first began here, with its first ever post about the benefits of bendy buses over LTA’s prevailing choice of the time — double-decker buses. On a personal level, they’re still great, though an understanding of demand cycles today would mean different recommendations on a professional level. Initially, we had a second author at the very beginning, who left shortly after. But I walked this road nonetheless.
August 2020: Into the fire of war
Barely a month after STC was launched, the first major transport policy-related event followed suit — the DTL2 rationalisations, which sought to bring the axe to services 171 and 700. STC moved into transport advocacy, although at this point, still on the same caliber as many others who bemoaned the loss of their direct bus. This, together with other rationalisation exercises in the following years, played a big role in shaping our position of recognising buses and bus-based tools as equally important in achieving effective and convenient public transportation for all.
November 2020: Going abroad, virtually
The first “International” posts were made here, and even to this day we collectively believe in studying best practices of overseas transport systems, so that their experiences may inform and enlighten us of the best way forward. In more recent years, we’ve also taken a keen interest in negative examples abroad that offer cautionary tales of what not to do in running transportation systems. Sometimes, we even see shadows of current Singapore policy in the historical trash heaps of other cities and countries! That’s where it’s important to stop and think, if we’re headed for the same disastrous fate that cities elsewhere paid dearly to dig themselves out of.
January 2021: The first setback
Sometime that month, an anonymous reader took issue with the STC blog, resulting in a three-month shutdown. Despite the setback, it was a good time to pause and reconsider our direction moving forward. STC came back online in April 2021, with the current tagline (the four Rs — Rant, Realise, Reinvent, Rebuild) introduced. As Singapore slowly exited the pandemic in the subsequent months, that noticeably shifted the focus of STC content, from pandemic-specific issues in the transport industry to a broader view of future growth.
November 2021: In good company again
After more than a year as a solo blog, more authors began joining the Team again. The direction of a more diverse sphere of discourse, at least within the STC community, was set henceforth.
July 2022: Shining the spotlight
On the eve of our 2nd anniversary, STC’s work was first referenced by external media outlets, boosting our exposure to a wider Singaporean audience. It was about our post on tip-up seats, where an old post was used to explain a Redditor’s query on the under-utilisation of those seats. Nonetheless, in an amazing twist of events, said Redditor went on to become a key Team member!
November 2022: The first collaboration
Hot on the heels of an earlier media feature, the second major feature of STC was a collaboration with Hazel Tang of RICE Media for her article on the width of bus seats. Needless to say, it was still quite an eye-opener for us, despite what we already knew about seat arrangement, vehicle capacity, and passenger comfort.
March 2023: 100 posts, and opening up!
That month, STC published its 100th post, where we once again clarified our seemingly confrontational stance on transport matters. Why demand more when our system is supposedly world-class? Two explanations, for tldr: we aren’t world-class yet, and even if we are, that is not a free pass to rest on past laurels. Shortly after, the Discord server previously for Team members only was launched to the public, a pivotal moment in transforming from a mere blog into a larger community of commentators of transport policy. If you aren’t already inside, join our server where all the activity is, simply by clicking on the button below!
September 2023: From virtual, to physical
STC held its first community event some time after the launch of the Discord server, where we seek to reach out to and engage our larger community of readers. The first event was a visit to the CRL’s Stage 1 Project Information Centre at Hougang, graced by about a dozen readers and Team members. Since then, we have successfully hosted many similar visits and events in conjunction with major milestones in conjunction with the development of our public transport system — despite being vocal critics, we commemorate every step taken, together.
November 2023: Trekking across a vast land
I took a 22-day tour through parts of southern and eastern China in November and December 2023, my first trip back to the vast land that lay up north in about seven years. With coverage across three provinces and numerous cities, the China Chronicles series was written where I found inspiration for how Singapore could do better. One thing about China has stayed constant over the years, which Singapore should take serious note from: they translate an intent to serve the people into concrete action and policy much more skilfully than we do. In a great twist of historical irony, they once came to us in droves in the 1990s and early 2000s learning how to build great cities and transport systems for the people. Now, it’s our turn to learn humbly.
February 2024: The floor is yours, too
Inspired by the Human Transit blog (which also inspired STC as a whole), STC introduced guest posting in early 2024 to encourage reader submissions on the blog, lest the Team missed out any areas of focus that readers wanted to see explored. The first guest post was published at the end of 2024, by a pair of Marine Parade residents who couldn’t wait for our Town-by-Town series to reach them 😛. (This series has been paused for a while, and we hope to resume it in the near future, pending our availability)
July 2024: STC’s grand project
As early as 2020, the notion of an alternative Land Transport Master Plan had been floated and mentioned a few times on the blog, without much significant action taken. One year ago, we finally broke ground on Transport Manifesto 2050 behind the scenes. Currently still a work-in-progress, expect a major breakthrough in progress in the weeks leading up to National Day!
September 2024: Life-changing events
Better described by a community member as a “generational” event, the Clementi train derailment on 25 September 2024 has greatly moulded transit planning discourse since then. Just as there is no doubt that the double train disruptions of December 2011 left an irrevocable mark on the Singaporean transport psyche, the long-lasting disruption caused by last year’s derailment has so significantly reshaped the way we think about public transport’s, and what needs to be done to make it robust for the years to come. I can’t deny it — a significant amount of what’s been written on the blog, or put into the Manifesto since then, had been influenced or affected due to Singapore’s worst train disruption in history.
On a side note, the way our government officials reacted in the wake of the derailment could also be considered “generational” — one would probably never catch statements so egregious ever again.
December 2024: Homecoming
The largest STC event held to date, more than 40 readers and individuals beyond the STC community took part in our gathering for the first day of operations at Punggol Coast station. Team members and the STC community toured parts of the upcoming Punggol Digital District, before convening for a brief session to discuss various aspects of the upcoming TM50.
January 2025: A new journey together
Shortly after the new year began, TM50 was officially announced to the public, where you, as a reader, formally began your journey in crafting the people’s alternative to the official upcoming LTMP 2050. You can access the Manifesto’s official website via the button below, where all (confirmed and released) initiatives and proposals under TM50 are showcased.
February 2025: Sneak peeks
We promised to not keep you waiting, and we delivered — the first public release of the Manifesto was released this February. Connecting the future JID, Tengah and NTU through the city and on to the future Long Island, the proposed Holland-Long Island Line sought to be the relief line that the west truly needs, and can depend upon, should another unfortunate incident happen again. Spoiler: we’ve also planned the first stage of the Bukit Timah Railway to link to the HLL at Maju, such that a meaningful second rail link for western Singapore can be realised in the soonest time possible!
July 2025: Celebrating five years
And so we find ourselves here. Five years after STC began as one disgruntled guy’s blog, we now stand as a tight-knit community, led by 13 esteemed Team members and comprising 303 members, and we look forward to including you in this journey for a better transport landscape in Singapore! Half a decade on, the world around us has changed beyond recognition — so much so that it’s easy to lose track of time. For one, I sometimes find it hard to believe that we’re already halfway through the decade, with the JRL and CCL stage 6 opening just next year, and the CRL soon after. Those lines once felt like distant figments of imagination in official reports.
Hello once again readers, and yet again, another year flies by seemingly quick. And a whole lotta character development from each of us of the team, be it juggling full-time responsibilities, or stepping up to public opinion (reddit mostly ofc, but still technically a wider presence)
Expect a whole slew of content as the STC gears up to diversify into become more inclusive, by deviating away from the typical author-reader hierarchy, to pedestals that see each of us as equals. Until then, here’s to our happy five years! And to another half-decade we go!!!!! ~@lemonnarc
Hi readers, as a (mostly silent) writer for the last 2 years, a lot has happened throughout. We launched TM50, and so much more! Here’s for the last 5 years, and for at least 5 more! ~@keilucatz
Hello there! I am Xessus, one of the newest menbers in the team! Over here, we get to do many fun stuff, especially with TM50 chugging along! And if you are hesitant to joining, fret not. There is a spot for everyone in this place, and we welcome you to join the Discord server too! ~Xessustsae5358
Most importantly, I extend my sincere gratitude to the STC Team, who has been walking this journey with me even through tough times, and pushing through to bring where STC is today. It would also be remiss to not thank the TM50 Executive Committee, formed from members of the STC community, who have also been working intensely with me over the past year. Translating concepts and wishes for the public transport system into plans presentable to the powers that be, to bring them one step closer to reality. Definitely, the process has not been smooth, with loads of disagreement and difficulties along the way, but the dedication of the TM50 committees and wider community towards realising a vision of a better Singapore is heartening and commendable. With additional support from the Team despite our packed schedules, I am confident that interested members of the public will get to lay their eyes on much more of what Transport Manifesto 2050 has to offer, in time for Singapore’s 60th birthday this August.
A new look, and a new home
As we commemorate five years of advocacy for better transportation in Singapore, the very STC that you know and are familiar with is up for a huge shakeup. With an increasingly public-facing presence from our work in TM50 and beyond, it’s high time to shift from the confrontational modus operandi of the past to a more collaborative one. For the grand prize of making better urban transport possible, it is imperative that we work together with other groups pursuing a similar direction. This also includes, surprise, the very LTA and Transport Ministry that we’ve been blasting relentless for bad policy over the past five years, but at the crossroads of Singapore’s 60th anniversary this year, perhaps the winds of change may blow in our favour.
We’ve received feedback that the “Critic” part of our name has been the source of much potential controversy in past years, together with content that would be deemed too inflammatory by the standards STC holds itself to today. These are past excesses that we acknowledge and strive to improve upon in the course of our work. With greater scrutiny placed upon us as a group of certain influence in transport and urban planning circles locally, it’s time to make us more presentable to a greater audience out there whom we’ll be dealing with.
Additionally, we recognise that not everyone’s strength lies in writing, and over the past year we’ve accumulated significant strength in our Team contributing via other means that are equally valuable towards achieving our goals of promoting better transportation on our little red dot. Be it in art, animation, or coding, their role is no less than that of the authors publishing on the blog too.
On the occasion of our 5th anniversary, allow me to share our plans for the future with you, so that members of the STC community know what to expect later this year. First up, a name change — “SG Transport Critic” will be rebranded to the “Singapore Transport Collective”, to reflect the diverse interests and strengths of our Team and community in striving for better transportation and urban planning. Expect changes to the logo and banner, but be assured that the iconic “STC” roundel and acronym will continue to remain as part of our identity. This will take effect when our new website is launched.
The blog, as well as everything else currently hosted on our website, will also be migrating to a new address, where readers can look forward to a refreshed space showcasing our articles, content, and other initiatives to engage with the wider community. (The new site also gets rid of the annoying “.wordpress” in the URL, making our site easier to remember and access too!) Apologies as the new site is still WIP, but do look out for its release in mid-July. More information, including our new site address, will be revealed soon.
All article posting will be progressively migrated to the new site over the rest of 2025, with the current website ceasing operations on 1 January 2026. Don’t worry, new posts up till then will also be published here, but you’ll be given ample time to update your subscriptions on our new site too! We look forward to seeing you around over there too, where we will be doing so much more!
Once again, a deep thank you to everyone, past and present, Team and reader, who have come together to make the STC story a remarkable one over the past five years. Here’s to more collaboration and memories together for the road ahead!
Because we’re oneSTC.
Signing off,
A Meow Cat
Lead Editor, SG Transport Critic (for the last time)
Singapore Transport Collective 
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