PM Lee: Full public inquiry into MRT breakdowns
UPDATED
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday a full public inquiry will be held to help determine the root cause of the recent MRT train breakdowns, reported The Straits Times.
Its immediate task: to look into reasons for the breakdown and to see if the system can be improved or if the problem is more systemic.The committee will be chosen in the next few weeks.
Speaking after a briefing by the Land Transport Authority officials after another breakdown -- this time on Saturday morning -- PM Lee said SMRT had to begin restoring public confidence in its system.
"What is important is for us now to get to the bottom of the matter and get the system up and running safely again," he was quoted as saying by the paper.
On Saturday morning, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew also visited Newton MRT station to check on the breakdown and SMRT's bus bridging services. A day earlier, referring to the massive commuter chaos on Thursday, he made clear that SMRT had to "make this right".
A separate panel of experts is also being convened to do a "thorough check" of the rail network.
SMRT said that train service on the North-South and East-West lines had resumed by 12pm.
The service, which usually starts at 530am, was supposed to start at 10m instead to allow for a full inspection of tracks and trains on Saturday evening, the Land Transport Authority earlier announced.
The move follows three train disruptions this week which have sparked public outrage. The latest two disruptions were on the North-South line while the earlier one was on the Circle Line.
In a press statement on Saturday, LTA said that it has directed transport operator SMRT to conduct a full inspection of the tracks and trains after end of revenue service on Saturday night "to determine if any obvious impairment are visible arising from the two incidents resulting in train service disruptions on Thursday and Saturday."
LTA said initial investigations point to misalignment between the train track and "collector shoes" causing a fault in the power rail.
The government agency said it will mobilise its team of engineers to assist SMRT to conduct visual checks of collector shoes assembly for all trains to ensure they are intact.
Concurrently, another contingent of inspection teams will examine the third rail assembly on the NSEWL, it added.
"The teams will comb through the entire third rail assembly. This work will be conducted up to 10am the next morning. The delayed opening hour of 10am is necessary as it is estimated that the team will need at least eight hours to conduct this review," it explained.
Meanwhile, LTA said that to facilitate travel on Sunday morning, free bus bridging services will be provided.
SMRT said passengers can take the MRT shuttle buses that will run from 5:30am to beyond 10am on Sunday.