Like many regular users of the MRT, I have been reading with sadness the daily news, reports and letters on our train system.

Everyone recognises the difficulty in changing tyres while on the move.

This is what the MRT improvements are turning out to be.

My suggestion is to truly bite the bullet and shut down sections of the network, or even whole lines, for prolonged periods to do a good and thorough job of improvements and renewal.

Faced with such a national fiasco and the embarrassment that comes with it, I am sure we can all pull together to make this work.

Surely, the certainty of alternative transportation, no matter the extra time or inconvenience, will beat the daily uncertainty of delays and breakdowns, especially when we can look forward to a better system in the near future.

I have no doubt that there will be obstacles - for instance, where can we find the extra buses and drivers required?

But I am sure that we will find a way.

We should opt for "surgery" and accept the downtime, instead of suffering the daily uncertainties in train service.

If those in charge are given the time and opportunity to make good, citizens would expect them to do a good job.

Failure will truly not be an option.

Albert Francis Lee Cheow Soon