To honour public transport commuters who demonstrate acts of care during their daily commute, the Public Transport Council (PTC), together with the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), has jointly launched a new award category – the Caring Commuter Award – for this year’s National Kindness Award – Transport Gold event, which will be held in October. This is the first time since the inception of Transport Gold that an award category is being dedicated to commuters.

The new Caring Commuter Award recognises acts of care by commuters, such as accompanying lost commuters to their destination, or stepping forward to help other commuters in need.

Introduced as part of the Caring SG Commuters movement, this award is the result of our extensive and continual engagements with commuters. Commuters shared that such an award might encourage and inspire others to take that first step and lend a hand to their fellow commuters, and actively make our public transport experience a more pleasant one.

Members of public are invited to nominate other commuters, whom they have witnessed or received help from, for the award. Besides providing details of the acts of care, commuters may also submit related photographs for the nomination. Nominations can be submitted via an online form (link here) until 16 August. Caring Commuter Award posters (see Annex) can be found at MRT stations and bus interchanges.

Mr Richard Magnus, PTC Chairman said: “Every day, commuters receive and experience acts of care from ‘quiet heroes’ on our public transport system. Every act of care, however simple it might be, is admirable as it contributes in making a fellow commuter’s journey a more pleasant one. The Caring Commuter Award is to recognise these commuters who have shown such acts of care. With this new award, we are hopeful these positive stories will inspire more commuters to look out for one another on public transport, and spread this culture of care in Singapore for a more inclusive and caring public transport system.”

“SKM is very excited with this new award for caring commuters,” added SKM General Secretary Dr William Wan. “In our Graciousness Survey, we have seen improving ratings for ‘moving in and making space for other passengers on public transport’. In general, a behaviour we are newly tracking, ‘helping and giving way to elderly and others with mobility issues’, has also been rated good to excellent. I am confident therefore that we will be receiving many nominations for this new award.”