“Has anyone felt inconvenienced by how the new info is displayed in the MRT?” — S’porean who prefers the “old station map” asks

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean took to social media on Friday (Oct 18) to share he preferred the ‘old station map above the MRT door’ rather than the new LCD map display.

In his post on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, he explained the old map allowed commuters to see all the stations at a glance, making it easier to track how many stops were left before needing to get off. 

However, with the new setup, he now has to keep checking the display periodically to stay updated on his location, which he finds inconvenient.

The man also highlighted how the crowded trains make it difficult to view the display, especially when standing in the middle of the cabin. 

“[It’s] making me anxious on whether I’ve missed my stop or not,” he said. “Has anyone felt inconvenienced by how the new information is displayed in the MRT?”

Moreover, he questioned why some stations, like those on the TEL (Thomson-East Coast Line), have changed their exits from letters to numbers. He asked, “Is this supposed to improve passenger understanding of where to get off?”

“I miss being able to take my time to count how many stations I have left on my journey”

Several Singaporean Redditors echoed his sentiment in the discussion thread, saying that they also preferred the old station map for its simplicity and clarity.

One Redditor expressed, “So true, I miss being able to take my time to count how many stations I have left on my journey, and now I have to try to count all before the display disappears, and they don’t even show all the stations, so I have to look it up on my phone if it’s a longer journey.”

Another said, “The worst thing is that it only plays advertisements even though I just want to see the map, and why does it only show up when the train stops at the station?

And I can’t be the only one who thinks the shape of the map shown is confusing?”

A third suggested, “[They] should just put a digital version of the old LED map. Show the train map and the current location and direction the train is heading towards.”

Regarding the change from letters to numbers for exit signs, one Redditor explained using numbers is meant to make it more universal, as not everyone knows the English alphabet.

He said, “Not everyone knows ABCD, which can also be confused with platform letters. Therefore, the numbers for exits.”

Read related: “Implementation without consideration for elderly” — Commuters say the old MRT directional displays were more user-friendly than newer ones

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)