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By Angelina Dass
SINGAPORE - The Committee of Inquiry (COI) has advised SMRT to improve its incident management procedures in the wake of the December breakdowns.
In its report submitted to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Tuesday, the COI concluded that while SMRT did their best to minimise passengers' transportation problems, the incident management was largely skewed towards train safety and operations considerations.
Therefore, there was insufficient attention placed on the wellbeing of passengers stranded in stalled trains and stations.
While the COI agreed that SMRT did not compromise on safety, it said it was fortunate that no commuter was injured in the December incidents.
Identifying evacuation of passengers from train to track as an area to improve on, the committee believes that this plan should be coordinated with the backup power supply.
Lighting should be also enhanced by equipping trains and stations with portable lights and the gap between the detrainment ramp and the trackbed be reduced to allow for passengers to leave the trains easier.
The COI also recommended a slew of measures including improving communication between stakeholders and to the public, putting in place a command structure and enhancing evacuation procedures from train to track.
During the breakdown on Dec 15, SMRT was under the mistaken belief that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had directed them to quickly resume full services instead of investing time to conduct a thorough check for faults.
This showed that communication between stakeholders during the incident was weak. In an attempt to rectify this, the committee urged LTA to take the lead in working out an overall integrated land transport emergency plan.
Working with other public transport stakeholders, the plan should articulate response strategies and the roles of various stakeholders and their coordination protocols.
Addressing SMRT's command structure under its Railway Incident Management Plan (RIMP), the COI said an overarching 'command centre' should be put in place.
The centre will help "form a picture of the situation faced by the respective subordinate units and centrally manage the organisation's incident response".
Suitably staffed with senior officers, the centre will be responsible for station management, alternative transportation arrangement and communications to the public and media, as well as liaising with LTA and other government agencies.
SMRT said on Tuesday that it is currently reviewing the recommendations by COI.
dassa@sph.com.sg
6,500 commuters affected by MRT train breakdowns in Dec
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(Photos: ST, Stomp, TNP) |
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