SINGAPORE — Safe distancing stickers and markers will be progressively removed from trains and buses here, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said. This is because it will be challenging for commuters to keep their distance from one another once the circuit breaker that restricts activities eases on Tuesday (June 2).

Boarding queue markers at bus interchanges and seat markers on train platforms will also be removed, but seat markers at bus stops and interchanges will remain since physical distancing is still possible at these spots, LTA said.

Commuters will still be required to wear masks on public transport and should practise good personal hygiene, it added. They should also be socially responsible by refraining from talking on the phone or to one another during their journey.

On Monday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that the Government has been able to ensure safe distancing on public transport due to a drop in commuter numbers due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

However, it will be difficult to continue doing so after business activities resume and more people start to take public transport, he wrote in a Facebook post.

Mr Khaw made the comments after visiting Ang Mo Kio MRT Station on Monday to observe preparations for Singapore’s first phase of reopening after two months of enforced movement restrictions.

“Singaporeans are looking forward to tomorrow, as today marks the end of the two-month circuit breaker. But we are taking it slowly, easing the measures gradually and carefully,” he wrote.

“Unnecessary haste may lead to an uncontrollable spike and cluster. We do not want to have to hit the circuit breaker again.”

Public transport operators will continue their stepped-up cleaning regimes. Anti-microbial coatings will be applied on high-contact points such as handrails, buttons, grab poles and seats on trains or buses.

SafeEntry QR codes have been placed at prominent locations around train stations and bus interchanges. The digital check-in and check-out system allows people to log their entry and exit at a location to facilitate contact tracing.

While commuters are encouraged to use SafeEntry, it is not mandatory to do so, LTA said.

Starting from Tuesday, the frequency of trains and buses during peak hours will return to pre-circuit breaker levels, or “the shortest headways which are operationally feasible”, it said.

Train operating hours will also return to normal.

Mr Khaw urged Singaporeans to cooperate with transport ambassadors and public transport workers to keep commuting safe for all.

“As you step out of your homes tomorrow, remember to check in or check out with SafeEntry, mask up, refrain from conversations and observe personal hygiene,” he added.