LTA announced today that it is beefing up contingency plans in the event of a major rail disruption. They have approached the SAF to explore the deployment of manpower to give directions to affected commuters during only massive train breakdowns.
Currently, personnel from the police, Public Transport Security Command and the SCDF are already helping the LTA and the public transport operators in carrying out marshaling duties
During the recent July 7 massive breakdown that affected 250,000 commuters during peak period, many people did not manage to get home until midnight. Some were forced to walk all the way home.
Due to the LTA's inadequate capacity to cope with the scale of such disruptions, they are now exploring the option of tapping Singapore military manpower.
Justifying such a proposal, MP Alex Yam said: "Deploying SAF personnel at MRT stations is not entirely new as soldiers are already put in key installations like Jurong Island and Changi Airport to conduct patrols. They also have experience in crowd control during mega national events like the National Day Parade. Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort."
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