The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been studying on how to provide ways to safely secure strollers on board public buses, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Monday (July 11).
Usually, parents or caregivers will have to fold the stroller and carry the child themselves during the travel, with the assistance from the bus drivers. However this policy have been proven to be not parent-friendly and could be very troublesome for parents with children who use public transportations at daily basis.
Last year, a Singapore parenting website called theasianparent.com had posted a poll on their Facebook page, asking for feedback regarding the issue. The result is not unexpected, 90.88% of 296 voters agreed that there must be a better solution which poses less inconvenience.
There were also several comments on their Facebook page stating their annoyance of the existing policy. A mother had commented, ’When I’m alone with 2 young kids, carrying lots of barang (stuff), have to carry a stroller up the bus, make sure the kids get up safely too, tap our cards, put down the stuff, and then fold up the stroller… Very troublesome.‘
To deal with this problem, Member of Parliament Desmond Choo (Tampines GRC) had asked how the LTA can provide better solution for the needs of families with young children.
In his written reply to the MP’s question, Mr Khaw said he agrees that the public transport system must be inclusive and cater to the needs of different commuters, including families with young children. Both the LTA and bus operators are studying ways to safely secure strollers on board buses, he added.
