The Public Transport Council (PTC) has submitted its report on fostering the Caring SG Commuters movement to the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan.

The report, titled “Fostering the Caring SG Commuters Movement”, outlines PTC’s efforts since 2017 to co-create solutions with commuters and stakeholders that foster a caring commuting culture in Singapore. Beyond this, it recommends a more coordinated and integrated approach to sustain this movement in the long run.

In particular, the report recommends that a formal coordinating structure, spearheaded by PTC, be set up to drive this transformation of Singapore’s public transport system into a more caring, welcoming and inclusive one. The coordinating structure would oversee the ideation, implementation and publicity of initiatives across agencies to foster the Caring SG Commuters movement within Singapore’s transport network.

Mr Richard Magnus, PTC Chairman, said: “The Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040 envisions a land transport system that is more inclusive and supported by a gracious and caring commuting culture. To achieve this, we must create a sense of shared responsibility amongst all stakeholders. This will require a culture change, and PTC’s efforts to date are the first step. By elevating the movement to an integrated level, we would then be able to make a more decisive push towards our vision of an inclusive, gracious and caring commuting culture for all Singaporeans.”

For the full report, please click here (PDF, 1583 KB).

Since 2017, PTC has piloted several co-creation projects such as Heart Zones, Heartwheels@Linkway, CARE Ride@South West, and CARE by Chung Cheng aimed at
promoting a caring commuting culture. Commuters have welcomed these projects. The projects have also received international endorsement for their unique contribution to the public transport sector, such as the recent UITP (International Association of Public Transport) Asia-Pacific Special Recognition Award for PTC’s “Co-creation Project to Foster a Caring Commuting Culture”.

As part of efforts to foster a caring culture among commuters, PTC will launch a new Caring Commuter Award, in collaboration with the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM). The Award recognises and appreciates regular people who have gone the extra mile to help their fellow commuters. This is the first award dedicated to commuters under the annual National Kindness Award – Transport Gold event, which recognises individuals in the transport sector who have displayed exemplary service and gracious behaviour. We encourage members of public to nominate commuters, whom they have witnessed performing acts of kindness or whom they may have received help from, for the award via an online form (link here). Caring Commuter Award posters that can be found at MRT stations and bus interchanges.

Commuters are also encouraged to visit the new Caring SG Commuters movement one-stop portal at [https://www.ptc.gov.sg/caring-sg-commuters], where they can access relevant digital resources and content such as the details of all Heart Zones in Singapore, information on Caring SG Commuters events, and exclusive interviews with commuters. Commuters are welcome to contribute their own Caring SG Commuter experiences from their daily commute, as well as to register their interest and participate in events and activities to promote a caring commuting culture in Singapore.