New SBS Transit training centre to teach staff to help wheelchair users, visually impaired commuters

SINGAPORE – When Mr Leslie Yeo, a senior customer service officer on the MRT Downtown Line, first encountered visually impaired commuters while on duty, he was unsure how to help.

“I didn’t know how to approach or assist the visually impaired or wheelchair users,” said the 48-year-old.

Today he knows, and does things quite differently.

For starters, instead of instinctively reaching out, he now introduces himself and offers help respectfully.

He will invite a visually impaired commuter to hold his arm or place a hand on his shoulder, and he asks wheelchair users whether they need help before pushing them.

“Grabbing someone without asking may shock them,” he said.

Mr Yeo is among more than 3,000 staff members trained under SBS Transit’s inclusivity programmes, which aim to better equip front-line workers – such as bus drivers and customer service officers at MRT stations – to support commuters with diverse needs.

The operator on April 10 opened the Public Transport Inclusivity Training Centre (PTITC), set up in partnership with the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) Singapore Bus Academy and SG Enable.

The centre, located at the Seletar Bus Depot, was launched by LTA chief executive Ng Lang and Public Transport Council chairperson Janet Ang.

The centre features a simulated train platform gap, ramps and stairways, allowing staff to practise helping commuters in realistic settings. Training combines classroom instruction with hands-on scenarios tailored to the transport environment.

SBS Transit said the programme goes beyond technical know-how, focusing on empathy and awareness.

“For a person living with dementia, a once-familiar interchange can suddenly feel like a maze,” said group chief executive Jeffrey Sim. “For a commuter in a wheelchair, the gap between the boarding platform and the train can become a real physical barrier.”

To build that understanding, there are role-playing exercises, including navigating spaces blindfolded or using a wheelchair.

Since 2019, more than 3,000 SBS Transit employees have spent time at SG Enable’s Enabling Village to experience first-hand what it is like to navigate public spaces with limited sight or mobility.

While these sessions laid the groundwork, SBS Transit said transport-specific challenges – such as platform gaps, bus aisles and boarding constraints – required more targeted, hands-on training.

For Mr Yeo, these experiences were eye-opening. “After the training, I’m better able to put myself in their shoes,” he said. “It helps me understand the daily situations they face when using public transport.”

That awareness has translated into action on the job. On one occasion, he helped a wheelchair user onto a train and alerted staff at the commuter’s destination station to be on standby.

Such coordination can make a significant difference, especially as wheelchair users may face challenges manoeuvring into designated spaces on board, he said.

The PTITC aims to bridge this gap. It will run two programmes – a monthly course for all staff and a quarterly, in-depth role-playing course for front-line employees – with up to 20 trainees at each session.

Training at the centre will begin later in April. SBS Transit plans to open the facility to other public transport operators too, as well as volunteers such as Caring Commuter Champions.

The initiative reflects a push to build a more inclusive transport system, not just through infrastructure but also through everyday interactions, said Mr Sim.

For commuters like Mr Tommy Lam, those interactions matter.

The 67-year-old wheelchair user, who began taking public transport with his wheelchair in 2024, said he has found it easy to get around, with staff consistently ready to help.

He also took part in the Travel Buddy Programme, where trained staff accompany persons with disabilities on their journeys to help them travel safely and independently.

He said it gave him confidence to use public transport on his own.