SMRT seems to be no longer interested in alerting commuters about public transport disruptions on its social media pages.
But worry not, for help has come from within the community of people tired of getting stuck in long commutes during train breakdowns. According to The New Paper, there’s been an emergence of support groups and online services established as a response to the now-regular occurrences of train service disruptions and the now-waning alerts by SMRT.
There’s TATA SMRT, which waves goodbye to the negativity that typically surrounds commuting woes and introduces alternatives to public transport during breakdowns and delays. Standing for The Alternate Transport Advisory & Singapore Magnificent Rescue Team, the Facebook group with over a thousand members not only provides real-time updates about disrupted services, but also has volunteer drivers who can offer free rides to those in need. Members are encouraged to chime in with positive vibes and help fellow commuters plan alternate routes and services during major breakdowns.
But for those who just want an automated, unfiltered feed of tweets related to train delays, follow the MRT Disruption Feed Facebook page to keep track of angry people railing at SMRT. Or if you’re an avid Telegram user, subscribe to the Telegram channel SG MRT Updates dedicated to real-time disruption and delay notifications, courtesy of OneSilicon Studio.
Then there’s single-serving website mrtok.com (that’s MRT ok, not Mr Tok), which readily answers the ephemeral Singaporean query: “MRT okay or not?”.
In the meantime, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has promised in Parliament that resignaling works on the North-South Line — that’ve caused frequent occurrences of train delays during peak hours — may be done by the end of November.
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