In a recent court judgment, SBS Transit has been found to be completely responsible for a train incident that happened back in June 2022. The case involved a woman, Ms. Ng Lai Ping, whose head and neck were trapped in the train doors at Punggol MRT station.
The judge, District Judge Sim Mei Ling, decided that SBS Transit had not done its duty to keep its passengers safe. The judge’s decision was based on Ms. Ng’s story that the train lights were suddenly switched off without any warning. Because of the poorly lit carriage, she tripped and fell while trying to get off, and the doors closed on her.
SBS Transit claimed that the train was being taken out of service and that they had followed all the correct procedures, including making announcements and having staff on the platform. The company’s argument was that the incident was Ms. Ng’s own fault because she was being careless.
However, District Judge Sim Mei Ling found Ms. Ng’s account to be consistent. She also noted that it was highly unlikely that all six passengers in Ms. Ng’s carriage would have missed the “out of service” announcement. The judge concluded that it was more likely that SBS Transit played the wrong announcement, one for a resumption of service, and failed to give a proper warning before the lights dimmed and the doors closed.
The judge also pointed out that SBS Transit had not called two of its staff members who were present at the scene to be witnesses in court.
The court’s finding of 100% liability on the part of SBS Transit means that the case will now move on to the next stage. A later trial will be held to decide on the amount of compensation that SBS Transit must pay to Ms. Ng for her injuries.
The judge noted that the company had initially had six staff members involved in train withdrawal procedures, but the number was later reduced to four due to manpower shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic.
