That question sparked a spirited exchange between Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua and Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC) in Parliament yesterday.

Ms Lee had asked Mrs Lim if the Government would consider installing either an escalator or lift at the overhead bridge near the station, located in Ms Lee's Nee Soon South ward.

An engineer by training, the MP cited precise figures to illustrate how the arduous climb up the bridge would dissuade seniors from taking the train.

'Sixty-seven steps,' she quipped. 'This is surely more like a vertical marathon for the elderly.'

Responding, Mrs Lim noted the presence of a street-level pedestrian crossing 32m from the station.

Unconvinced, Ms Lee said later she had asked a male aide to use a measuring tape to check the distance from the train station to the pedestrian crossing.

The result: a 156m walk from the station to the traffic lights, a six-lane crossing, then another walk back.

'Total, 310m,' she said, prompting laughter from Members. This time, a slightly embarrassed Mrs Lim said: 'I stand corrected.'

She said she would be happy to accompany the MP to the site to verify the distance.

If it was indeed longer than Land Transport Authority benchmarks for barrier-free access to train stations, the authority would consider Ms Lee's request, she said.