12/06/2026
There has been some online discussion about a commuter who was stopped from handing his toddler to a caregiver at an MRT gantry without tapping through the fare gates. We understand the commuter’s frustration – managing work, childcare, and a young child on the move isn’t easy.
There are rules and regulations on the MRT for reasons such as safety, security, passenger comfort, fairness, etc. Our public transport workers apply these rules judiciously and with compassion. For instance, eating and drinking are not permitted on the train, but we know young children, seniors or commuters with medical needs occasionally need to drink water, and so the operators use their discretion and allow for such cases.
Similarly, our public transport workers have been assisting families by applying the rules with kindness most of the time and opening the fare gate to facilitate such transfers. There is also an existing solution that can help – children who qualify for free travel can apply for a child concession card which allows them to tap in and out easily, for free. We are glad that some parents have shared this with the commuter.
Specific to the recent online discussions, SMRT had sought to engage the commuter to explain, but the commuter had chosen not to respond despite making a public post, and suggesting that the SMRT station staff were unhelpful, which was not the case.
Notwithstanding, more information on navigating Singapore’s public transport system with young children may be found at the following links:
https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/who_we_are/statistics_and_publications/Connect/parentsonPT.html
https://www.facebook.com/publictransportcouncil/posts/before-your-little-one-hops-onto-the-bus-or-train-make-sure-theyre-all-set-with-/1107989104811480/
