Threat Level for Public Transport Facilities in Singapore

6 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport in respect of the latest Terrorism Threat Assessment Report (a) what is the threat level for public transport facilities in Singapore; and (b) whether LTA will consider increasing public education efforts to better prepare both public transport workers and commuters on what to do in a security incident at a public transport facility.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, public transport facilities are attractive targets for terrorist elements due to their vulnerability and the potential for mass casualties. In the past two years, there have been attacks against commuters and subway trains globally. The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high with the possibility of a terrorist attack against our public transport facilities. LTA has been working closely with the Home Team agencies to customise specific security measures for public transport, based on the prevailing threat level.

LTA and the Public Transport Operators will continue to work with the Home Team agencies to increase security awareness and strengthen emergency preparedness among the public transport community. Transport workers and commuters also play important roles. Regular exercises are necessary, even though they may cause inconvenience to commuters. For example, in January this year, a contingency exercise that simulated a terrorist attack was conducted at Tampines West MRT station, as part of the SGSecure movement to enhance the community's response to a terrorist attack. More than 120 officers from various agencies and public transport workers participated in this exercise, with the public transport workers and the community assisting the authorities with evacuation and first-aid.

Last year, in addition to such exercises and trial of security screening measures, the Public Transport Security Committee, an inter-agency body led by LTA, produced a video to show how commuters can get themselves to safety while helping others in the event of a terrorist attack on a train. The video is now being played at all train stations and bus interchanges. SGSecure posters and safety advisories are also displayed in transport nodes such as MRT stations and bus stops.

Beyond such on-going efforts, LTA has partnered with MHA to conduct quarterly protective security awareness seminars for public transport workers. We will continue to conduct relevant programmes, training and exercises to enable the public transport community to respond, help themselves and others during a security incident.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Tanjong Pagar): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I have one supplementary question. Last year, I visited the Taipei Railway administration. They have a training facility for their workers but they also open this facility to the public. Students and members of the community regularly visit the facility where they are trained on what to do during an emergency situation – how to open the train doors, where the fire extinguishers are, where the AEDs are, how to evacuate in an orderly manner. I found this very useful because at our train stations, inside our trains, there are limited staff on a daily basis at any one point of time. And in an emergency, awareness of what to do can help save lives. It can also help to maintain a sense of calm and order. Will the Ministry consider setting up or working with the Public Transport Operators to set up a similar training facility where we can train more people on what to do in the event in an emergency?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member Mr Melvin Yong for his comments, and indeed, we agree that we all have a part to play in this, and it is not just about public transport. Actually, this is at the heart of the larger SGSecure movement and the public transport community is trying to play its part in engaging in that. Indeed, we do hope to engage with the community, whether it is through education efforts, the use of a number of our facilities as educational resources, but also in terms of outreach through the grassroots advisors and the communities that they serve. There are a number of opportunities and I hope Members will assist the public transport community in reaching out to citizens to help in being prepared for these events.