Recent MRT Train Breakdowns and Disruptions

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng asked the Minister for Transport what will be the composition of members of the Committee of Inquiry and what will be the terms of reference for the Committee of Inquiry into the recent MRT train breakdowns.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Transport (a) what will be the composition of the Committee of Inquiry set up to investigate the MRT train disruptions and emergency responses; (b) whether the Committee will conduct its hearings in public; and (c) whether the Committee will conduct primary fact-finding on the incidents or rely on reports put up by other agencies such as the Land Transport Authority.

Mdm Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Transport (a) how is SMRT held accountable for the proper maintenance of trains as part of their obligation to avoid transport disruptions due to breakdowns; (b) whether SMRT employs an adequate maintenance regime of checks and rectifications and, if so, whether this regime has been adhered to; (c) what emergency response plans have been established for service disruptions and disaster recoveries and whether these plans were complied with during the recent disruptions; (d) how is the emergency preparedness being tested to ensure the readiness of SMRT's staff and relevant Government agencies; and (e) what key principles have been prescribed to safeguard the safety and comfort of commuters in the event of emergencies.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the number of incidences of MRT service disruptions over the past five years and what are their underlying reasons; (b) what is the comparable rate of disruptions in other developed cities such as those in Japan and what are responses of train operators and commuters in such emergencies; (c) whether SMRT's Standard Operating Procedures for disruptions in areas such as alternative transport arrangements, crowd control and information dissemination are adequate; and (d) what further measures will be taken to ensure reliability of the train services and effective communication to commuters in the event of an emergency.

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the Government's role and accountability with regard to passenger safety in the event of an MRT service disruption; (b) how does the Government ensure that even with private companies operating the public transport system, the safety of passengers is not compromised in the event of such service disruptions; (c) what are the existing emergency response measures to rescue passengers who are trapped in an underground train for an extended period; and (d) how often does the Government review and assess the effectiveness of such measures.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether an interval of two minutes is the minimum and the safest margin for MRT trains to run during peak hours; and (b) what is the safety precaution/measure taken by the MRT operators to ensure user safety in the event of a breakdown in the train signalling system.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the reasons for the recent spate of breakdowns in the SMRT train system; (b) what are the plans drawn up to minimise breakdowns; (c) what is the standard operating procedure when a train breaks down; (d) what improvements have been put in place to ensure better multi-lingual communication with commuters; and (e) at which stage will the Singapore Civil Defence Force be activated to evacuate commuters who are trapped in stalled carriages.

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Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport in light of the discovery of weaknesses in the SMRT train disaster response system (a) how has this impacted on the Ministry's planning for any terror attack on the train system; and (b) why is this weakness in the SMRT response system not discovered during the mock exercises.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA has to date exercised its power to impose conditions relating to the appointment, re-appointment or removal of MRT operators' CEO, chairman or any of its directors; and (b) what criteria does the LTA use to decide when to impose such conditions.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Lui Tuck Yew): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will be making a Ministerial Statement on the "Disruption of MRT train services on 15 and 17 December 2011" at the end of Question Time. May I request your approval to deal with the issues raised in Question Nos 6 to 14 then.

Mr Speaker: You have my approval to defer Question Nos 6 to 14 until the delivery of the Ministerial Statement. Question No. 15, Mr Desmond Lee.