'Why not 2 chairs instead?' Commuter raises questions about perch seats inside new MRT train

While riding the MRT train recently, one commuter was surprised to see that some of the regular seats had been replaced by perch seats. 

He voiced questions in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 12). 

"Removed two chairs and place this useless installation on the newest MRT train (sic)," wrote the annoyed commuter, referring to the perch seats. 

"How many butts can occupy the space? Only two. Why bother? Why not two chairs instead (sic)?" he questioned. 

His post sparked a flurry of comments from netizens, who chimed in with their thoughts about the perch seats. 

Some said that the perch seats would allow for more standing passengers in the cabin. 

"This 'useless installation' can probably let four more people onto the train. Two of these per cabin means about eight more passengers. Multiply that by six and that's 48 additional passengers per train," surmised one netizen. 

Another said that the perch seats are useful for commuters travelling with strollers and bicycles, who would otherwise obstruct others if they occupied seats on the train.

On the flip side, one netizen said that some inconsiderate commuters would occupy the entire perch seat instead of sharing the space. 

Perch seats on new MRT trains

The perch seats are a feature on the new trains on the North-South and East-West lines introduced in June.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that these new trains will gradually be put into service at the rate of about two every month, and replace the first three generations of NSEWL trains.

The train cabins are designed with more open spaces to accommodate wheelchairs, bicycles and strollers. 

Ergonomic perch seats were also installed in these train cabins to allow more commuters on the trains, LTA explained.

The new trains also come with wider single-frame windows to give commuters a better view of the surroundings, and more informative LCD display systems which provide detailed route and station information. 

AsiaOne has contacted LTA for more information. 

READ ALSO: From Tuas to Changi: Singapore's East-West Line (EWL) routes, key stations, future developments and nearby living options

claudiatan@asiaone.com