Public must be given facts behind MRT accident

I, like many Singaporeans, commute by train daily, and I wish to raise concerns about the ever-decreasing reliability of our train system.

While we understand the need to be patient as the train operators work tirelessly to iron out the various issues to put the trains back on track, the MRT accident at Joo Koon station yesterday takes commuters' concerns to a whole new level.

Twenty-seven commuters were injured as a result of this unfortunate accident.

On top of the frequent breakdowns we have had to endure, now we also have to worry about how safe the trains are.

Was the accident due to human error ?

If it was, then was the error due to fatigue or negligence as in the case of the flooding incident last month?

Are there any other underlying causes that need to be thoroughly investigated.

I hope measures will be taken immediately to prevent a future occurrence.

Also, are commuters insured against such accidents ?

If not then maybe it is time we look into this as well.

The paying public has a right to know what actually happened and how the train operators can assure us of our daily safety.

Unless the facts are made known, the public will continue to lose faith in our once reliable public transport system.

David Tan Kok Kheng

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 16, 2017, with the headline Public must be given facts behind MRT accident. Subscribe