Facebook group aims to beat train snarls with crowdsourced real-time updates

SINGAPORE — Complaints of inaccurate official information on train disruptions have become commonplace on social media, but Mr Jason Cai is trying to turn that negativity into actual help for fellow public transport commuters caught out by snarls — through crowdsourcing on Facebook.

Last month, the 35-year-old engineer started a Facebook group called TATA SMRT — an acronym for The Alternate Transport Advisory & Singapore Magnificent Rescue Team — with the aim of pooling suggestions for alternative routes when train services are disrupted.

The spark was the major train delays on two lines on Aug 18, the day of Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) oral tests, he told TODAY.

“What spurred me to start the group was the problem that students were affected, and it might have caused them distress. At the same time, I saw many complaints and unhappiness on the internet,” he said.

He was not “We are going nowhere if we are being so negative, instead of constantly complaining ... I thought, ‘Why don’t we have people come together to help one another?’. That would be much more meaningful.”

In one month, TATA SMRT — a play on bidding goodbye to the eponymous public transport operator — has gained 1,700 members.

Numbers aside, what the group does has morphed into something more than what Mr Cai had in mind. With eyes and ears on the ground, TATA SMRT has evolved into a crowdsourcing platform, providing real-time updates of train service disruptions.

In fact, TATA SMRT beat SMRT to alerting commuters about the delay on the East-West Line on Thursday (Sept 28) morning, ironically the second instance this year students taking the PSLE this year were affected. It was the first day of PSLE written exams; the English language paper.

No student was late for the exam, according to the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, despite nearly three hours of disrupted train services between Pasir Ris and Tanah Merah/Tampines.

Earlier this month, members of TATA SMRT also posted updates and pictures of congestion and long queues at several stations including Tampines and Simei on the East-West Line, even though operator SMRT did not send out any alerts about the crowds that day.

“Some commuters ended up avoiding those stations and hopefully that helped to ease the congestions and save them precious time,” said Mr Cai.

Mooted as an information platform, TATA SMRT has also spurred acts of kindness. A mother of four, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lee, offered to ferry two students in the vicinity of Toa Payoh and Bradell to Catholic High School on Thursday (Sept 28) afternoon free.

The 39-year-old, whose son also studies in Catholic High School, said she was keen to keep up the carpool services during the PSLE period.

“I have kids of my own, so I can imagine how worried they will be when a train breaks down on their exam day,” said Ms Lee.

“I thought the carpool service would definitely be helpful for primary school kids, especially those taking the PSLE. I hope the service can help to ease their tension or worries a little.”

Mr Cai said he was heartened the group he started has come so far. “There are always skeptics and I was initially doubtful about starting the group, but now I’m heartened and grateful that there are so many who support this idea,” he said.

One of the group’s members, Mr Alan Chow, 41, who uses the MRT almost every day to deliver items for small businesses, said he would continue to rely on the Facebook group for updates on train faults and breakdowns.

“I think it’s useful, especially when the MRT is so unpredictable nowadays,” he said. “Sometimes when there are (train) breakdowns, there (are) no reports on news sites. SMRT’s Facebook (page) is not as reliable and at times, it’s better to depend on (fellow commuters).”