Jeffrey Siow on responding better to MRT breakdowns

Commuters should have access to more precise information when MRT breakdowns happen, such as alternative travel routes and additional travel time depending on their location. Centralised information could be made available on a single app and directional signs could also be improved. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said this in parliament on Monday (Sep 22) as he acknowledged growing public frustration over a recent spate of train disruptions. Eighteen parliamentary questions on rail reliability were filed in the House. Mr Siow noted that some disruptions are inevitable, but the goal must be to “absolutely minimise” them and, equally important when they do happen, to support and guide commuters to continue their journeys safely. He said he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to share more data on train disruptions publicly - to be transparent “because we have a good system and we have nothing to hide”. He added that using reliability indicators such as mean kilometres between failure (MKBF), Singapore’s train system remains one of the most reliable in the world. He has asked LTA to regularly publish MKBF comparisons with Hong Kong, Taipei and cities in Japan, “because Singaporeans often compare our MRT to these systems”.