Bt Panjang LRT broke down 32 times between 2008 and 2010

Bt Panjang LRT broke down 32 times between 2008 and 2010
Posted: 10 January 2011 2326 hrs

SINGAPORE : In September 2009, commuters had to endure a four-hour disruption of the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT).

That was the worst of 32 such incidents between 2008 and November 2010, each exceeding 10 minutes.

Of these, eight lasted longer than half an hour.

This was revealed in Parliament by Transport Minister Raymond Lim, who said the majority of the breakdowns were due to technical faults to the signalling system or trains, with the remainder due to track intrusions or extreme weather events.

He said light rail operator SMRT is required to meet certain performance standards, such as ensuring that LRT services are available 99.5 per cent in any month.

And Bukit Panjang LRT has been able to meet that target in the last three years, averaging 99.93 per cent each month.

Mr Lim added that there are processes in place to minimise the inconvenience to commuters.

For instance, in a recent incident in November where commuters had to be evacuated by walking along the viaduct, SMRT staff were deployed to guide them back to the platform.

- CNA /ls

- wong chee tat :)