I totally agree with Ms Delphine Chin Mei Foong's suggestion to create priority seats on the MRT and give pre-recorded announcements to raise public awareness.

A few months back, I was in Taipei where there are also priority seats and reminder announcements. What happens there is the same as Ms Chin described in Tokyo and Osaka: 'Sometimes, other commuters would occupy a 'priority seat', but whenever an elderly commuter boarded, the younger commuter gave up his seat.'

Every time I took the train carrying my two-year-old toddler, someone would offer his seat to me. Even if I was standing at the door ready to get off at the next station, there would be one kind soul without fail approaching me and asking me to take his seat.

That is something which will never happen here. Many times, I wonder if it is lack of awareness or the culture of people in Singapore.

Now, seven months pregnant myself, whenever I stand near a seat with the sign, 'Give up the seat to someone who needs it more than you', most of the time, people who are seated there ignore me. Of course, these commuters have paid their fare and expect a seat - since it is not a priority seat.

The word 'priority' on the seat itself would really send the message that only the needy may sit there. Especially those seats where there are only two facing each other. This is because most of the time, people who choose to sit are not willing to give up their seats to the needy. I have tried many times, and it is only when I stand in the middle of the carriage that someone will offer me his seat.

Of course, those who do offer their seats are not in the area with the signs. So it really shows that SMRT should remove the 'Give up the seat to someone who needs it more than you' signs.

I hope SMRT will learn from other places like Taiwan and Japan and create more awareness that the public should offer their seats to those who need them more. The best answer is to have priority seats only for the needy and not wait for someone to give up his seat as it rarely happens.

Linda Cheng (Mdm)