Heart To Heart: Understanding Vulnerable Commuters At 'Be That Special Someone Today' Webinar

More than 300 participants joined the 'Be That Special Someone Today' webinar on 15 December 2020.  

Together with Transport Ministry’s Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng, Public Transport Council’s Chairman Richard Magnus, SG Enable’s Chief Executive Officer Ku Geok Boon, and Land Transport Authority’s Deputy Chief Executive Public Transport, Policy and Planning, Jeremy Yap,  we learned how simple acts of care can make a big difference to other commuters’ journey on public transport.

Guest speakers Ms Siti Rossaliza (Watch Siti’s video) and Ms Nicole Lim (Watch Nicole’s video) related their experiences.  

Siti shared that while she is thankful for the help that she has received, being open to receiving help also help others in being more open to helping others. But she urged commuters to not be upset, if they decline help.  

Nicole, on the other hand, spoke about how she is sometimes asked to give her seat up, as her conditions are not visible, and how the “May I Have a Seat” sticker identifier was useful in identifying her need.

Ms Evon Lim  (Watch Evon’s video) and Mr Daniel Cheah (Watch Daniel’s video), who have lent a helping hand to fellow commuters in need, shared  why they care and how they approach someone who may be in need of help. 

Evon was inspired by her mother’s advice that “if you can help, just help”, while Daniel said it is always good to ask someone if they need help and how you can assist so that help is rendered correctly.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey shared that most commuters he knows agreed that they have a role to play to improve everyone’s travel experience. “Some people don’t know what to do, or don’t know how to do it. So I think it's something we can all learn from fellow commuters and people who are experienced in looking out for vulnerable segments of society,” he said.

So, it was especially encouraging that the webinar’s participants were keen to know more about how they can play a part in building a caring commuting culture. We hope to bring you more stories and resources on the Caring SG Commuters Portal. 

We also encourage all commuters to sign up as a Caring Commuter Champion and share your experiences on the Caring SG Commuters Portal. 

By sharing your experiences, you could inspire even more acts of care on our commute. We hope to be able to work with you to drive a Caring Commuter Movement and create a more inclusive commuting culture for you and me.

We have the power to shape other commuters’ experience and Be That Special Someone Today.  

To sign up as a Caring Commuter Champion, click here.

Watch the full webinar recap here: