Step forward, then back in transport

Far too often, government departments operate like the proverbial Jekyll and Hyde, eliciting an endless cycle of joy, grief and dismay in citizens. Partly because departments and their actions are, essentially, a product of the composite of humans within them, they tend to suffer the human paradox of being both agreeable and disappointing in turns.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications appears to excel in this particular paradox. As a ministry with an intimately public mandate, the organ has breathed hot and cold in recent years, withdrawing the popular public passenger train service, while also promoting vehicle ownership and driving abilities through unfettered used vehicle imports and a 24-hour turnaround for driving theory tests.