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

SINGAPORE: An MRT passenger took to social media on Saturday (Aug 10) to express dismay about the enhanced transit signage system at Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) MRT stations.

In a post on the Facebook group ‘Complaint Singapore,’ the passenger pointed out that the enhanced signage system on the TEL line, which uses numbers, is more complex.

This system requires passengers to frequently check the display boards for directions, which can be cumbersome and confusing.

In contrast, the directional displays on the older MRT lines are much clearer and allow passengers to find their way without constantly needing to refer to additional information.

Ms Goh Mui Mui, the senior manager for architecture at the Land Transport Authority (LTA), explained to CNA in 2022 that the enhanced signage system was designed to make it easier for commuters to navigate the rail network. 

The new system highlights exit-related elements in bright yellow for better visibility and uses numbers instead of letters to ensure universal understanding. According to Ms Goh, numerals were chosen because they are easily recognized across different languages and local dialects.

Despite these intentions, it appears that not all commuters, especially the elderly, are pleased with the changes. Under the post in Complaint Singapore, a few of them expressed that the signages is not as straightforward or effective as intended.

One netizen remarked, “Implementation without consideration for Elderly.”

Another commented, “Old directions much better than new directions. Easy for senior elderly to see the directions to get to the exit to the location.” 

A third netizen shared, “Yes, prefer old school, newer one not user friendly, wake up LTA/MRT.”

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