I applaud the team of SMRT engineers and staff who worked tirelessly, round the clock, to ensure that the trains were running again in the shortest time possible ("2 major MRT lines down for over 2 hours"; last Wednesday).

However, more can be done.

Instead of keeping focus on the overcrowded trains during peak hours, why not look at developing a better bus network for Singapore's northern areas?

While the Government is working to set up more housing estates in the north, the area's bus network is poorly developed.

For example, there is no direct bus from Chua Chu Kang to Woodlands, Bishan, Punggol or Redhill. In fact, most of the northern region, such as Yew Tee, Chua Chu Kang, Sembawang, Bukit Gombak, Punggol, Sengkang, have mostly only feeder bus services.

If there were more bus services and routes as an alternative to the MRT, in the event of a breakdown, commuters would not be as stranded as they were last week.

Having more bus services would also help ease the crowds on trains that we face every morning, as people in the north mostly rely on the MRT as their only mode of transport to other parts of Singapore.

Chan Kah Ling (Ms)