ACCIDENTS ALONG MRT AND LRT TRACKS

ACCIDENTS ALONG MRT AND LRT TRACKS: 8.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Transport (a) if he would provide an update on the number of accidents involving passengers and service staff falling or being on MRT and LRT tracks over the past three years; (b) what measures have been put in place to reduce such passenger and work accidents; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider bringing forward the installation of platform screens at passenger interchanges such as Choa Chu Kang MRT station, which serves as a node for MRT, LRT and bus services.

Column: 1994

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Transport): Sir, from 2008 to 2010, there were 73 incidents of commuter track intrusions on our MRT and LRT systems. Of these, 51 or 70% were deliberate, with passengers going onto the tracks to retrieve dropped items, or crossing the tracks as a shortcut. The remaining 22 cases or 30% were accidental, typically involving commuters that fall onto the track due to some illness. In the same period, there were two accidents involving service staff on train tracks.

Safety procedures are put in place to ensure safety for all rail commuters and service staff. Works on tracks and guideways are governed by track access procedures and safety procedures to ensure work safety for staff. Areas that are safe for access are clearly demarcated. Should there be a need for service staff to encroach into areas outside of these boundaries, the train Operation and Control Centre (OCC) will hold all trains stationary before the access is authorised.

For commuters on the station platforms, the operators regularly broadcast safety reminders for passengers to wait behind the yellow lines on the platforms, and station Customer Service Officers (CSOs) at platforms to ensure that passengers do not rush onto the trains. Train drivers are also trained to keep a lookout for potentially dangerous situations and to take preventive actions when necessary.

In spite of these measures, accidents sometimes occur. We view these incidents seriously, and require the operators to submit reports identifying the causes of the incident and the safety mitigation actions to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

Column: 1995

As Member Mr Zaqy Mohamad has highlighted, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is also in the process of installing Half Height Platform Screen Doors (HHPSD) at all 36 elevated MRT stations of the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL). The installations are targeted for completion by 2012. To date, the platform screen doors are operational at nine MRT stations: Pasir Ris, Yishun, Jurong East, Clementi, Bukit Gombak, Lakeside, Bukit Batok, Chinese Garden and Eunos. More are on the way very soon.

Carrying out platform screen door installations on an operational MRT Line is a challenging task. Installation work can only commence after revenue service hours, so that daily train operations are not affected. Works are therefore limited to a narrow window of about two-three hours each night. We seek the public's patience and understanding on this, and remain committed to completing the installation of the platform screen doors as soon as possible.

LTA has prioritised the installation works by targeting more crowded MRT stations such as Jurong East, Clementi and Yishun. Priority was also given to the East-West Line as it has more elevated stations than the North-South Line. We expect work on the East-West Line stations to be completed by the third quarter of this year. Works for Choa Chu Kang Station, which is on the North-South Line, are scheduled to commence later this year, for completion by mid-2012.