Jeffrey Siow acknowledges commuter frustrations with recent MRT disruptions
Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow has called the recent MRT train disruptions “disappointing” in a post shared on Facebook on 6 Aug.
The statement came after another track fault on the East-West Line (EWL) that morning.
SMRT initially warned about delays of around 15 minutes at 6.03am, which they updated to 25 minutes at 7.17am.
However, some furious commuters alleged an additional 30 minutes or more of travel time.
Mr Siow stated that the disruption was caused by problems with a point machine near Jurong East MRT station.
Source: Jeffrey Siow on Facebook
Point machines physically move rails at junctions, and the malfunction led to trains moving at slower speeds for passenger safety, resulting in the delays.
Causes of recent MRT disruptions are unrelated
“Our maintenance engineers work very hard to keep point machines working,” Mr Siow stated.
He claimed that SBS Transit engineers showed him how they maintained point machines during peak hours last week.
Mr Siow called the process “laborious”, involving opening up the machines, testing all their circuits, and even hand-cleaning their gears with a file.
Source: Jeffrey Siow on Facebook
“This series of recent incidents is disappointing for all of us, and we can and will do better,” Mr Siow said, acknowledging the disruptions in the past month.
He stated that the causes of the incidents are unrelated and occurred on different lines.
On 1 July, a signalling fault resulted in a 30-minute delay on the SMRT-operated Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).
The Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line suffered two disruptions on 3 and 19 July due to a newly installed power system, according to SMRT.
Jeffrey Siow promises improvements in relaying information to commuters
Mr Siow told commuters that he understood their frustrations, but said that train delays cannot be eliminated entirely.
Instead, the Acting Transport Minister promised improvements in getting information to commuters during a train fault and guiding them to alternative routes.
Source: Jeffrey Siow on Facebook
“General announcements about additional average travel time are indicative, but the overall impact on an individual’s travel time will depend on his or her location and destination,” he explained.
Mr Siow recommended the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) MyTransport SG app for up-to-date information.
Additionally, SMRT and SBS Transit have apps that provide specific information on alternative train and bus routes in case of a disruption.
Mr Siow further promised that LTA will work with transport operators to conduct regular exercises in supporting commuters during such incidents.
The One Transport family will continue to work hard to strengthen our rail system.
Also read: EWL suffers 25-minute delay during morning peak hour on 6 Aug, resolved after 5 hours
EWL suffers 25-minute delay during morning peak hour on 6 Aug, resolved after 5 hours
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Featured image adapted from Jeffrey Siow on Facebook and Facebook.
