With the frequent train disruptions, I urge the Land Transport Authority to reintroduce bus services that run parallel to MRT lines ("Introduce real competition in transport system" by Mr Chong Soon Keen; Forum Online, Nov 22).

Doing so will help to introduce the missing competition between the two operators, providing the pressure for them to improve.

Passengers can be offloaded from overcrowded trains during the peak periods, especially when there are delays in train services.

Parallel bus services will also provide an immediate backup in times of a train breakdown.

In a breakdown, it can take up to an hour for the breakdown confirmation and for the specially arranged bridging services to be subsequently activated, by which time the crowd would have grown to an unmanageable size.

Our public transport system is the backbone of our nation and is what keeps the country moving.

We should not be at the mercy of operators whose goal is to run money-spinning businesses.

Parallel bus services are critical, and more so with our unreliable train services.

Wong Boon Hong