Father questions MRT rules in open letter to transport minister
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has responded to a viral complaint by an upset father.
According to the man, he was asked to tap out of the MRT paid area just to pass his toddler to a caregiver who was waiting outside the gantry.
Singaporean Daniel Chow aired his concerns in an open letter addressed to Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow on 9 June.
Source: Daniel Chow on Facebook
Father says one station manager insisted on fare payment
Mr Chow shared that he and his wife usually work on Saturday mornings.
In such cases, his in-law would help to babysit their child.
According to Mr Chow, he would take the train to an MRT station and hand his toddler over to the caregiver at the fare gates.
Source: Daniel Chow on Facebook
He claimed that most station staff had previously helped by opening the side gate to allow the transfer.
However, one station manager consistently insisted for him to tap out and pay a fare before passing the child over.
Mr Chow argued that the requirement made little sense because babies travel for free and he was not actually leaving the station.
The father also suggested that such costs could add up significantly for families who rely on grandparents or caregivers for childcare support.
Source: Daniel Chow on Facebook
In the post, he questioned whether the policy was aligned with Singapore’s efforts to encourage parenthood and raise the country’s total fertility rate.
A video accompanying the post showed him lifting a pram and his child over the MRT side gate.
Source: Daniel Chow on Facebook
LTA says staff often apply rules with compassion
Responding in a Facebook post on Friday (12 June), LTA acknowledged the challenges faced by parents juggling work and childcare responsibilities.
“We understand the commuter’s frustration — managing work, childcare, and a young child on the move isn’t easy,” said the authority.
LTA explained that MRT rules exist for reasons including safety, security, passenger comfort, and fairness.
However, it stressed that frontline public transport workers are expected to apply these rules “judiciously and with compassion”.
The authority cited examples such as allowing young children, elderly commuters, or those with medical needs to drink water on trains despite general restrictions against eating and drinking.
According to LTA, station staff have been helping families by opening fare gates to facilitate such child handovers “most of the time”.
Child concession card already provides a solution
LTA also pointed out that there is already a system in place that could help families in such situations.
Children who qualify for free public transport rides can apply for a child concession card.
This allows them to tap in and out of fare gates without being charged.
Source: Public Transport Council on Facebook
The authority noted that some parents had already suggested this option in response to Mr Chow’s post.
In its statement, LTA highlighted the concession scheme, which allows eligible children to travel free of charge while making it easier for them to move through MRT gantries independently.
SMRT says commuter did not respond to engagement attempts
Addressing the specific incident, LTA said SMRT had attempted to reach out to Mr Chow to explain the matter.
However, it claimed the commuter did not respond despite making the issue public online.
LTA also pushed back against the suggestion that station staff had been unhelpful.
Source: Public Transport Council on Facebook
The authority subsequently shared several tips for parents travelling with young children, including using child concession cards, planning journeys in advance, bringing strollers on public transport and using lifts instead of escalators.
Online debate over rules versus practicality
The incident sparked discussion online, with some commenters sympathising with Mr Chow’s frustration and arguing that a quick handover at the gantry should be allowed without requiring a fare payment.
Others felt station staff were simply following procedures designed to ensure proper access control within MRT stations.
While LTA maintained that rules remain important for safety and security reasons, it also emphasised that staff regularly exercise discretion when dealing with families and young children.
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Featured image adapted from Daniel Chow on Facebook.
