By Cheryl Chia

PICTURE this: An elderly commuter gets on the train with grandchildren in tow.

She makes her way to the priority seats, only to find them occupied by young or teenage commuters who turn a blind eye to their situation.

This all-too-common scenario is among commuters' pet peeves, according to a check on citizen-journalism site Stomp.

Stomper ResistsS posted: "Sometimes I really cannot stand it and just have to remind commuters who have glued themselves to the priority seat with a sign (to give up their seats) above their head (to do as the sign says)!"

To get commuters to be more gracious, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has launched a new public-education programme, "A Happy Journey Starts Like That!", with the help of transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT.

Arrows indicate where boarding riders should stand.

Bigger signs proclaiming that such seats are reserved for commuters who need them, such as the elderly, have been put up.

Markings indicating where boarding commuters should stand to give way to alighting ones have been painted on the platforms.

Since the new measures were implemented two weeks ago, the response has been mixed, with some, like operations manager Agnes Lee, saying that all seats should be made available to those who need them most, such as the elderly and pregnant women.

Ms Lee, who is in her late 40s, said: "What's the point of making the signs bigger? I think it would be better to make all seats "priority" to really drive the point home."

Netizen Pintoneo posted on Sg- Forums: "I don't like it. People have the idea that if you don't sit in a priority seat, you don't have to give up your seat to someone in need."

But others felt it was a good step forward to make commuters more gracious.

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos: Inconsiderate train behaviour identified!

Insurance executive Rina Ng, 54, said: "It is a good change as the signs are bigger and more eye-catching, compared with the previous ones."

Agreeing, polytechnic student Norhamilah Hashim, 19, said: "They are better than the previous 'priority seat' signs. With the signs being so large, people will definitely feel awkward not giving up their seats. I do see people avoiding those seats and giving them up to others."

The Public Transport Council and the LTA said that they "are hopeful that more passengers will give up the seats voluntarily" after the launch of the programme.

"By doing so, the civic-minded will, by example, exert a positive influence on others," they said.

ccher@sph.com.sg

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