LTA to introduce new user-friendly features in public transport system

SINGAPORE'S public transport facilities are due for a major redesign that will see the inclusion of new facilities such as nursing rooms and priority queues.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday it will be embarking on several initiatives to redesign the city-state's public transport infrastructure to make the commute more accessible and user-friendly for commuters with various needs.

New and upcoming bus interchanges and integrated transport hubs will be designed with a standalone nursing room which will come with diaper changing amenities and a wash basin. These upcoming hubs include those at Bukit Panjang, Outram, Sengkang, Shenton Way and Tampines.

On the rail network, all stations along the future Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Circle Line 6 will have family-friendly washrooms, comprising a diaper changing station, child-size toilet seat and barrier-free facilities, alongside the main toilets in the unpaid area.

There will be a nursing room and barrier-free toilet in the paid areas of interchange stations.

Priority queues will be a feature of upcoming bus interchanges and transport hubs to cater to the elderly, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and parents travelling with prams. Existing interchanges will also feature them where space permits.

Upcoming MRT stations will feature dual-speed escalators to help children and elderly commuters. To be first installed in TEL stations, these escalators will be operated at 0.75 metre per second during peak hours and 0.50 metre per second during off-peak hours. They will then be progressively introduced to existing stations.

Buses may soon be redesigned to make it easier for families with young children to board. LTA will be working with institutes of higher learning to come up with a standardised system to secure open prams on buses.

LTA is also considering introducing buses with three doors and two staircases to aid commuter flow and encourage commuters to move to the rear of the bus.

Bus stops are also getting a review. LTA will study how to improve the 800 existing bus stops island-wide. The studies are targeted to be completed by 2019.

LTA's announcements come after a recent advisory report released by the Public Transport Council that looked at how to make commuting a better experience for all users.