The objective of the "traffic lights" in MRT stations is not clear ("'Traffic lights' at 10 more MRT stations", last Saturday).
The lights indicate only how crowded the train platform is but not the actual waiting time.
A green light does not mean the commuter will be able to board the train as it may be crowded. Neither does an amber light give commuters any assurance of boarding the second train.
In any case, commuters would still prefer to enter the station to see for themselves the actual situation on the platform, regardless of the lights.
What is more useful is the arrival time of the next train, which would help commuters decide whether to board the train or wait for the next one.
Besides the "traffic lights", more display panels on train arrival intervals should be installed at the platforms.
Currently, there is only one such panel at each platform, which is not easily seen by commuters at either end.
Lim Chong Leong
This article was published on Aug 26 in The Straits Times.
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