Forum: Traffic marshals adding to congestion caused by Circle Line upgrading

The current upgrading work at various Circle Line MRT stations is affecting commuters in more ways than one.

While commuters may appreciate that the Land Transport Authority and SMRT are putting in more resources to manage the disruption of service, there is an over-deployment of traffic marshals in most stations linked to the Circle Line.

Instead of being of help to commuters, this excessive deployment of traffic marshals adds to the already crowded platform. This is especially so during the morning and evening rush hours.

Some marshals continue to give instructions ceaselessly on the mouthpiece speaker, adding to the noise and confusion. Others stand idly by, blocking the way of moving commuters. There are yet others, especially the younger marshals, busy on their mobile phones or chatting among themselves.

All these add to the frustration for commuters who are already facing longer travelling times and having to navigate longer routes to reach their boarding platform.

Of course, these additional resources also come with extra costs, which I hope will not be passed on to commuters via fare increases justified by higher operational costs.

The need to have these excessive marshals should also be reviewed when the situation stabilises.

Christopher Teo Kian Lam