According to the lanyard around my neck, I was entitled to a seat on the MRT.
But all I received were furtive glances from commuters who saw the bright yellow “May I have a seat please?” card attached, only to immediately look down at their phones.
Several continued to gaze at me suspiciously during my train trip, probably wondering why someone who appeared fit and young would require a seat.
To make my need for a seat evident, I dressed dark colours on that day in February so the lanyard would stand out against my attire, and ensured the card always faced outwards. I even stood in the middle of the carriage.
Yet short of asking commuters to give up their seats, my best efforts were useless.
After boarding multiple crowded trains during the day, no one offered me a seat. When I did get to sit, it was mainly because someone alighted and no one took their seat.
Established by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2019, the “May I have a seat please?” project seeks to enable commuters with less obvious health issues or impairments inform others that they would enjoy a seat on public transport.
While the campaign started off with stickers distributed to commuters in need, reusable lanyards were sent out in 2021. Commuters who require a sticker or lanyard can collect them from passenger service centres at MRT stations, bus interchanges or TransitLink ticket offices.
As of end-2022, roughly 8,500 stickers and 5,500 lanyards have been distributed, LTA said CNA.
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