Leong Mun Wai calls on Jeffrey Siow to reassess the cause of multiple MRT breakdowns
Progress Singapore Party (PSP) secretary-general Leong Mun Wai took to Facebook on Thursday (7 Aug) to call for a thorough re-examination of the causes behind the multiple MRT disruptions this year.
In his post, Mr Leong urged Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow to investigate whether “systemic or cultural issues” might be contributing to these incidents.
This appeal comes after a series of delays across the rail network, with the most recent occurring on the East-West Line (EWL) on Wednesday (6 Aug).
Source: Prabu Ramachandran on Facebook
Jeffrey Siow acknowledges ‘disappointing’ disruptions
Following the track fault on 6 Aug, Mr Siow addressed the series of MRT disruptions in a Facebook post, acknowledging that the incidents had been “disappointing” for commuters.
He expressed his regret for the inconvenience caused by these delays, particularly as they disrupted peak-hour travel on various MRT lines.
The latest issue on the EWL was due to a malfunctioning track point machine, which caused the trains to operate at slower speeds in manual mode for safety, resulting in delays.
He also shared his experience observing engineers maintaining these machines, describing the process as “laborious”, involving tasks such as testing circuits and hand-cleaning the gears with a file.
Source: Jeffrey Siow on Facebook
While recognising commuter frustration, Mr Siow emphasised that train delays are inevitable at times.
He reassured the public that communication during disruptions would improve, with real-time updates available via apps like LTA’s MyTransport SG.
“We can and will do better,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening the rail system.
Leong Mun Wai calls for deeper investigation
In response to Mr Siow’s statement, Mr Leong argued:
A promise that the public transport industry can and will do better is not enough.
He recalled a conversation with then-Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat in February, where he had proposed a Committee of Inquiry (COI) after three MRT delays.
At the time, Mr Chee had dismissed the need for a COI, asserting that there were no systemic issues behind the disruptions.
However, given the recent string of breakdowns, Mr Leong said he found this explanation “less convincing” and urged Mr Siow to reconsider the government’s position.
He emphasised that the ongoing disruptions warranted a deeper investigation into potential “systemic or cultural issues” within the public transport operators, suggesting that these could be contributing to the recurring delays.
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Featured image adapted from Leong Mun Wai on Facebook and Jeffrey Siow on Facebook.
