SINGAPORE — To reduce the build-up of crowds at MRT stations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the respective MRT train operators have increased the peak-hour frequencies between trains from five to three minutes, so as to also allow commuters to keep a safe distance from each other.

“Ensuring that commuters can maintain a safe distance from one another when on board our trains and buses during the circuit breaker period remains a priority,” LTA said in response to TODAY’s queries on Monday (April 20). 

TODAY previously reported that some workers providing essential services found themselves with little choice but to ignore safe distancing markers on the train over the weekend, because of the authorities’ move to reduce the frequency of train arrivals. Some train cabins also became relatively crowded.

The changes to train operating hours and frequency took effect last Friday in response to a drop in daily rail ridership of more than 75 per cent.

Train frequencies on five MRT lines — North-South, East-West, North-East, Circle and Downtown — were reduced to no more than five minutes during peak periods and around 10 minutes during off-peak periods.

Before the changes, train frequencies were at no more than three minutes during peak periods and around five minutes during off-peak periods.

LTA told TODAY that it will continue to monitor the situation with the public transport operators, namely SMRT Trains and SBS Transit, and fine-tune rail service capacity as necessary.

In its reply, LTA provided three images taken between 8.20am and 8.45am on Monday within the train cabins at Caldecott station along the Circle Line, Bishan station on the North-South Line and Jurong East station on the East-West Line.

In each picture, no overcrowding was observed and commuters were keeping a safe distance from each other.  

LTA reiterated in its statement that commuters should stay home and avoid all non-essential travel.

As for those who must make essential trips, they are reminded to wear a mask and comply with instructions from transport ambassadors and public transport workers. 

“Commuters must continue to do so after the circuit breaker period when Singaporeans return to work and schools,” it added.

WHAT COMMUTERS SAY

Commuters interviewed by TODAY said that they rode in less crowded trains while heading to and from their workplaces on Monday.  

A 50-year-old safety officer, who gave his name as just Mr Chung, said that congested carriages have not been an issue because he takes the first train at 5.30am from Yew Tee MRT Station to his office around Paya Lebar. 

However, he has been noticing that the trains he took were stopping at each station for about a minute longer than usual — a situation that he said has not improved on Monday. 

Fellow Yew Tee resident Siti Nur Ashikin, 19, who was returning to work on Monday after being on medical leave last week, said that she was aware of the issue of crowded trains.

However, while heading to Jurong East for work around 7.30am and returning home before 8pm, she said that there was no issue of overcrowding. 

Over at Redhill, 29-year-old public servant Valerie Wong reckoned that there were about 20 people on the station platform at 9am. She waited around eight to nine minutes to take a train to Tiong Bahru. 

“This morning was about the same as last Friday morning,” she said. “There were still people on the train, but not super crowded. People were standing on the (safe distancing) stickers provided.”  

Ms Wong added that the situation did not change around 3pm when she was heading home, and the waiting time was also around eight to nine minutes for her return trip.

Just before she boarded the train, she saw the electronic board stating that the arrival for the next two trains were seven and 11 minutes. 

One commuter, however, told TODAY that the train cabin he was in was more crowded on Monday than what he experienced last week.

Healthcare professional Jeremiah James said that the trains were “really empty” when he travelled from Stevens MRT Station to Outram station between 6.30am and 7am last week.

“Today, there was no sitting space and many more people were standing for sure,” the 28-year-old said. “There was just enough room for everybody to stand on the (safe distancing markers).”  

TODAY observed that some of the trains on the North-South Line and Downtown Line were arriving faster and were not overly crowded.

At Novena MRT Station, train intervals were between three and five minutes around 5pm. The wait for a train at Jurong East station, heading towards Woodlands, was about five minutes at around 7.20pm. There were not many people waiting for the train and there were even empty seats within the cabins.