Overcrowding in Public Transport

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the public rail operators observe a Passengers In Excess of Capacity (PIXC) value and, if so, what is this value; (b) what are the plans to address the safety and health concerns of passengers travelling on overcrowded public transport; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider imposing a fine on the public transport operators if they fail to ensure that our trains are not dangerously crowded.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew: Sir, Passengers In Excess of Capacity (PIXC) is a crowding indicator for commuter rail in the United Kingdom which essentially measures train loading against intended capacity. In Singapore, we do not use the PIXC. Instead, operators must comply with Operating Performance Standards (OPS) for train loading. Today, they are required to keep train loading within the regulatory limit of 1,600 passengers per six-car train or 800 passengers per three-car train. This is determined based on the equivalent standing space of about five persons/square metre, which is comparable to or lower than crowding levels on other MRT systems around the world. If the operator breaches these standards, they can be fined up to $1 million under the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Act.

I assure this House that commuter safety is paramount in running our system. The regulatory limits are set well below the safety limit of trains, which are designed to carry around 1,900 commuters per six-car train. LTA is keeping a close watch on passenger loading along the busier stretches of our rail network, and working with the operators to proactively manage the crowding situation. We will certainly not allow the crowding situation to reach anywhere close to the safety limit of our trains.