I was one of the many Singaporeans who enjoyed the free bus and train services on National Day.

I commend the valiant crowd control efforts of all staff involved.

However, I was alarmed by the poor safety system that I observed when boarding the train at Promenade station towards Dhoby Ghaut at about 4pm.

Due to the high volume of trains, the train and platform screen

doors were closed abruptly, without the usual warning announcement, while the sizeable number of people in the queue were still boarding.

This was an accident waiting to happen.

True enough, the doors closed on the arm of a pre-schooler boarding with her parents, ahead of me. It took several people to prise the doors apart to release her arm. By then, the girl was traumatised and inconsolable. Imagine if the appendage in question had been her head.

An elderly woman who looked to be in her 70s had been behind the pre-schooler. It could have happened to her, and the consequences could have been more serious - perhaps a fall, fracture or worse.

Given the high passenger traffic on National Day, I sincerely hope that the poor safety system was limited to the train station I was at.

Tan Zhi Rui