Commuters Greet Train Collision with Frustration, Blame, Derision

A collision was reported at 8am this morning, 15 November, when a stationary train was hit by an SMRT train at the Joo Koon MRT station. According to Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), injured passengers, numbering at least 23, were brought to Ng Teng Fong Hospital and Singapore General Hospital. Commuters reported on social media that passengers on the moving train fell down when the collision occurred. Trains were delayed on the East-West Line as a result of the collision. With obvious frustration at numerous recent train delays, floods, announcements of shorter operating hours for certain train lines, and train, track and signal faults, derisive comments from netizens on social media immediately flew fast and furious, putting much of the blame on Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Desmond Kuek, the Chief Executive Officer of SMRT

Basically every Singaporean to Khaw Boon Wan right now. #SMRT pic.twitter.com/PK8xAioMyv

— Matthew Mohan (@matts_mo) November 15, 2017

#SMRT and Singaporeans today: pic.twitter.com/qGIlbz4C7K

— Mr Knuckles The Enchilada III, P.H.D., Esq. (@LukePaglar) November 15, 2017

Another netizen joked that perhaps Khaw Boon Wan has gotten too old for his job Yet another wondered if there is a “systematic plan to sabotage the MRT system” Others expressed frustration that those in charge refuse to accept responsibility, but have been blaming the ground crew for SMRT’s spate of problems