8 people lauded for being caring commuters, with awards drawing record 65 nominations

SINGAPORE – When sports science student Phoebe Lim noticed a man in his 70s being supported by another commuter near Sengkang MRT station on May 25, the 19-year-old immediately stepped in to help.

Noting that he was weak and had trouble walking, she asked station staff for a wheelchair to help get him to a nearby bus interchange, where he was able to sit down and rest.

She bought food for the man as he said he had not eaten, and decided to accompany him home as she did not want to leave him alone – with the initiative bagging her a commuter award on Saturday.

The Republic Polytechnic student visited him two days later to make sure he was okay, as she was afraid he might fall at home.

To Ms Lim, it was a simple act that anyone would have done.

So it was a surprise to her when she was lauded at the Caring Commuter Awards ceremony held on Saturday at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.

Ms Lim was among eight people who were recognised for helping fellow commuters in need.

This year, there were a record 65 nominations for the awards, which are handed out by the Caring SG Commuters Committee and in their fourth edition. This figure was almost double the number of nominations in 2021.

“Either we are getting more caring, or people are nominating more. I think it is probably a combination of the two,” said Transport Minister S. Iswaran in a speech on Saturday.

“But what is important is we continue to recognise them... Besides being an essential service, our public transport is really a commons, a shared space for all of us. So each and every one of us as commuters plays an important role in ensuring that we have an inclusive and caring commuting experience,” he added.

Another award winner was Ms Ang Bee Ping, 42, who, in February, helped a young girl reunite with her helper as the pair got separated while they were taking an MRT train.

Ms Ang, an assistant director at the National Trades Union Congress, said she was initially wary when the girl approached her at the platform of Kovan station as she thought it might have been a scam.

But the primary school girl looked frightened, and she clammed up when the station managers tried to ask her questions.

The girl also could not remember her parents’ phone numbers.

They were able to reach the girl’s mother as Ms Ang noticed the name of the girl’s school sewn on her socks and managed to get the school to help.

She said: “Initially, I wanted to just hand her over to the station staff. I was glad I made the choice to stay back.”

Ms Ang, who has a 12-year-old son and was pregnant at the time, added: “There was probably a maternal instinct. But I think anybody would do the same thing.”

Saturday’s award ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Public Transport Workers’ Appreciation Day.

SMRT station manager Angie Ng was one of 12 workers who received a token of appreciation from Mr Iswaran.

She joined the public transport sector in May 2021, after she was retrenched from her previous job as a casino supervisor. In this short time, the 40-year-old said her new job has already given her a sense of fulfilment and achievement that she previously did not have.

In February, she helped a frantic nine-year-old boy find his missing grandmother, and she also recounted a time when she spent an hour guiding a young child who was scared to get on a moving escalator.

“In my previous job, I never helped other people like this. I feel honoured that we are being recognised for what we do,” Ms Ng said.