Gone are the days that soldiers have to walk for miles on end to find public transport.
A Singaporean man has created a viable solution, to reduce time taken to reach ulu army camps.
Best of all, he’s even created a lasting collab with Grab for his fellow army mates.
He posted a reflective Facebook post on Tuesday (3 Jul), which has since gone viral for his efforts.
YC Choy was inspired by tales of his colleagues enduring up to 2 tedious hours on public transport.
The most extreme case involved a 2km walk to their work places in far-flung army camps located in Gedong or Pasir Laba.
He wished to cut down the travel time, so staff could spend more quality time with their families, or simply to rest.
Many of his fellow soldiers were reluctant to use nights off when they were in Lim Chu Kang camp, as it was too far away from public bus services.
Their commanding officer got him to look into hiring shuttle buses for his team instead.
However, none of the service providers he contacted seemed interested in a business “based on dynamic demand and needs”.
That is, until ride-sharing services like Grab came along.
He reached out to the Grab team, who developed a trial model for him — involving 3 “catchment neighbourhoods”, and Yew Tee MRT station.
Potential passengers can book the routes via the Grab app, with 3 free rides for first-time customers.
Ever the optimist, YC Choy wrote enthusiastically about the trial & error process with Grab.
Although he expected a lengthy process full of red tape, he was impressed that it only took 1.5 months, with the blessings of his superiors.
Together, they mitigated safety and security concerns, by identifying them swiftly in the early stages.
From conceptualising the solution and gathering feedback, to rolling out the final product, YC was involved every step of the way.
But the results definitely began paying off, when he rode the shuttle from Jurong for the first time — reaching his destination in just 20 minutes.
YC’s parting message to fellow soldiers in his predicament is that “anything is possible”.
As long as risks are well-thought through and mitigated, he shares that good solutions should always be Grabbed “with both hands”.
He also encourages other army personnel to contact him for more deets about his solution, giving a “shoutout to Gedong, Pasir Laba, and any other far flung ulu camps/stakeholders”.
Netizens have chimed in with compliments for YC Choy.
And have tagged their friends, who are also enthusiastic about the Grab’s new service for soldiers.
We only have one thing left to say with regards to YC Choy’s heroic efforts.
Thanks for helping our soldiers steal a little more rest every morning, by shortening their commute.
God knows they deserve it.
Featured image from YC Choy.
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