SINGAPORE - More inclusive initiatives such as priority cabins, booster seats in taxis and an app for wheelchair users and the visually impaired will be rolled out to improve the commuting experience.
Announcing these measures on Thursday (March 5), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng told Parliament it is even more important during difficult periods - like during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak - that "no one is left behind".
The first measure to hit the ground will be free booster seats in all SMRT taxis.
Starting on Thursday, SMRT will progressively roll out folding booster seats to its 2,800-taxi fleet in a six-month trial to improve the safety of young children below 1.35m in height.
The use of booster seats in taxis is currently not compulsory but recommended for young children, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which is supporting SMRT's programme.
"For more inclusive travel, it is important that families with young children are able to travel safely during taxi rides. With this trial, we hope to not only reduce road risk factors, but hopefully give parents peace of mind during longer taxi journeys," said Mr Tony Heng, senior vice-president for SMRT Roads.
SMRT is the first taxi operator to offer such a service.
Second, priority cabins will be launched on the North East Line (NEL) from the end of this year.
In the year-long trial - borne out of public feedback - the two centre cabins in each six-carriage NEL train will be designated priority cabins for commuters such as seniors, expectant mothers, wheelchair users, people with disabilities and parents with young children.
The two cabins were chosen for their proximity to platform lifts in most NEL stations, and will have signs to encourage commuters to let vulnerable commuters board and alight first.
Commuters will also be urged to give up their seats to those who need them more, and keep wheelchair spaces free.
A trial for an app which assists wheelchair users and visually impaired commuters in taking buses will run for another three years.
The trial, which has been running since January last year, will be expanded to all buses on services 139 and 141, which serve the Enabling Village in Bukit Merah and the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped in Toa Payoh respectively.
The Mavis app - Mobility Assistance for the Visually Impaired and Special Users - lets users alert bus captains that commuters with special needs will be boarding or alighting ando allows visually impaired passengers to activate audio announcements at their boarding bus stop to guide them to their arriving bus.
Mr Baey said the Government has received feedback on how the app had given mobility-challenged commuters "more confidence" to take the bus, especially when they are alone.
He also said a "Caring SG Commuters Committee" will be formed to explore ways to encourage civic-mindedness among commuters.
"We will continue to encourage individual commuters to be more understanding about those with different needs from ours, be more gracious in putting other people's needs before ours, and even better, be more caring by going the extra mile for fellow commuters, especially the elderly and those with special needs," Mr Baey said.
