New course to help bus commuters with mobility issues

Commuters with mobility issues can practise boarding and alighting from buses at the relocated Jurong East interchange as part of bus operator Tower Transit Singapore's efforts to boost their confidence when taking public transport.

It is part of a free course, with trainers guiding such commuters through the layout of public buses and the interchange, which is located next to JCube at Jurong Gateway Road.

The two-session course is open to the public, as well as social service agencies and hospitals looking to equip those under their care.

Tower Transit launched the programme yesterday, along with several other initiatives aimed at promoting inclusivity in the public transport sphere.

For the first run of the course, Tower Transit has partnered SPD, a charity which helps people with disabilities, to coach its clients.

Mr Kishon Chong, Tower Transit's customer experience and inclusivity officer, said it would help those with mobility issues to "regain some independence and confidence to travel on public buses".

Mr Chong, a wheelchair user, added that it will help them manage "real anxieties like the thought of holding up other passengers".

The course is among a series of initiatives the firm is rolling out to get the community involved in making public transport friendlier.

Tower Transit will also be enlisting the help of students from nearby schools to assist commuters at the relocated interchange, which has been in operation since Dec 6 last year.

It will continue to operate there until the completion of the Jurong East integrated transport hub around 2027.

The public transport company said students from the Institute of Technical Education College West's rapid transit engineering course will be trained in basic customer service and introduced to the different bus routes, so they can look out for those who need help with bags, directions or to move around.

Wheelchair user Taufik Sardon, 39, who works in the IT industry, said taking public transport can be daunting.

He added: "In Singapore's fast-paced society, we never really think about the challenges that the disabled face. So such initiatives will help us greatly."

The relocated interchange, which is operated by Tower Transit, includes several features aimed at creating a more inclusive public transport scene. Among other things, there is a nursing room for those travelling with infants and young children, and a voice intercom system that allows commuters to get help from staff without visiting the passenger service office.

In addition, one of the 21 retail spaces for rent there has been set aside to support community activities and social business.

SG Enable, an agency supporting people with disabilities, plans to use the space, called the Tower Community Store, to raise awareness of its programmes and for community outreach initiatives.

Noting that Jurong East has several medical institutions and is a town with many older residents, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who is MP for Yuhua, said Tower Transit's initiatives can go a long way.

"I hope that this kind of caring spirit can propagate to all our public interchanges," she added.

Correction note: An earlier version of the article misstated the name of ITE College West's engineering course. We are sorry for the error.