More security measures at selected MRT stations
Enhanced screening includes metal detector scans and X-ray scans; checks to be conducted at random
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Enhanced security screening will be introduced at selected MRT stations from today.
Checks similar to those at airports, including metal detector scans and X-ray scans, will be conducted at random, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post yesterday.
The roll-out comes after a six-month trial that began in November 2018.
The Straits Times understands that the larger roll-out of the enhanced screening measures took some time to implement, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The equipment will be rotated periodically among MRT stations on all rail lines.
These measures work together with the Threat-Oriented Person Screening Integrated System (Topsis), a threat assessment programme under which more than 30,000 public transport staff have been trained to keep a lookout for suspicious items, people and activities, the LTA said.
Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo had in February 2018 announced this planned extension of Topsis - under the name Topsis 2.0 - from front-line staff at checkpoints to "inland locations which could be attractive terrorist targets".
These locations include critical infrastructure such as power and water treatment plants, and buildings with high human traffic such as malls.
"The Topsis programme works hand in hand with the implementation of enhanced security measures at public transport nodes to deter possible threats," LTA said.
Members of the public can also flag anything suspicious by reporting it to public transport staff, calling the police or using the SGSecure app.
A separate Facebook post by SMRT yesterday also said that the screening equipment will be rolled out from today.
During the six-month trial by LTA between 2018 and 2019, some commuters had to walk through metal detectors and pass their belongings through X-ray scanners before entering the fare gates.
Screening equipment was also deployed at up to six MRT stations at any one time during the trial.
Referring to the security screening that starts today, SMRT said that "this is part of the enhanced security measures rolled out to detect potential threats and ensure the safety of our commuters", adding that checks are random.
