SMRT staff goes the extra mile to help autistic boy get home

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For Assistant Station Manager (ASM) Nor Heiadayah Binte Abdullah, winner of the Customer Service Excellence (Transport) category at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Awards 2022, this means being observant and going beyond the call of duty and paying extra attention to students from special education (Sped) schools such as ASPN Tanglin School located within the proximity of Redhill MRT station where she worked.

Her proactiveness paid off towards the end of her shift on 9 February last year, when she noticed a boy in an APSN Tanglin School uniform looking frustrated and lost. When she approached him at the platform, the boy cried uncontrollably. Undeterred, she kept assuring him she was there to help.

“I just wanted to help him, and I told him that no matter how he felt, I was there for him and he could sit down and talk to me,” said ASM Heiadayah, whose win at the STB Awards was the second successive year that SMRT has won. “I recognised his school uniform. Knowing that he had special needs, I was concerned about his safety and well-being as it can be difficult for students like him to express their feelings.”

When a train pulled into the station, the boy dashed to board it and ASM Heiadayah, 40, quickly followed him. While in the train, she noticed the mobile phone number of the boy’s mother, Madam Chin Chow Hong, was on his lanyard and contacted her.

Madam Chin, 44, revealed to ASM Heiadayah that her son, Mr Bryan Wong, 17, has autism and was supposed to head back home in Yishun as per his normal routine.

“I was very anxious and helpless when I received the call from Heiadayah, because I knew something must have happened to Bryan,” said Madam Chin, who is a training coordinator. “Prior to this incident, Bryan was lost on four separate occasions while taking the public transport. On that day, Bryan was disoriented because he had a meltdown.”

ASM Heiadayah told Madam Chin, who was busy at work, that she would accompany Bryan from Redhill to Yishun. To further reassure Madam Chin, she also provided regular updates on how Bryan was doing.

ASM Heiadayah Binte Abdullah (right) helped Mr Bryan Wong, who has autism, reunite with his mother, Mdm Chin Chow Hong. Photo: SMRT
SMRT Assistant Station Manager (ASM) Nor Heiadayah Binte Abdullah (right) helped Mr Bryan Wong, who has autism, find his way home. With them is his mother, Mdm Chin Chow Hong, at Yishun MRT station. Photo: SMRT

Recounting this incident, Madam Chin revealed this was the first time someone offered to accompany her son home.

She said: “Heiadayah is special to me and I am very grateful that she went the extra mile, even though she did not have to accompany him to Yishun MRT station. I will remember this incident forever.”

Frontline staff efforts part of SMRT’s WeCare service ethos

These stories of ASM Heiadayah, and that of her colleagues SASM Alain, SM Norazhar and ASM Hafiz (see other post here) were shared in celebration of World Autism Awareness Month in April, and are examples of SMRT’s WeCare service ethos put into practice, where frontline staff go the extra mile to provide commuter-centric, safe, reliable and comfortable journeys.

The WeCare service ethos can be found in the suite of services by SMRT, such as dementia Go-To Points and Go-To SMRT. These are all part of SMRT’s efforts to build affinity and better serve commuters on our network.

This post was adapted from the article “SMRT’s WeCare service ethos is powered by its frontline staff”, the full version of which was published in The Sunday Times on 3 April 2022. It was updated on 25 May after ASM Heiadayah received her accolade at the STB Awards 2022.

SMRT staff help wounded boy who has autism

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As part of service excellence, SMRT’s frontline staff put themselves in the shoes of commuters in order to serve them as best as they can.

With April being World Autism Awareness Month, we share how one of SMRT’s frontline staff, Senior Assistant Station Manager (SASM) Alain Goon, 52, put the company’s WeCare service ethos into action to help a commuter who has autism.

On 9 February this year at Caldecott MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, SASM Goon spotted a young boy, who looked like a primary school student, with bloodstains on his arms and bruises on his kneecap.

“Something was amiss because it seemed like he had an accident and I wanted to offer my assistance. He appeared lost as well,” said SASM Goon. “It was not easy to get the boy to the first aid room as he ran away when I approached him and proceeded to play the cat-and-mouse game with me.”

(From left): ASM Muhammad Hafiz Bin Latiff, SASM Alain Goon and SM Norazhar Bin Omar. Photo: SMRT
(From left): ASM Hafiz, SASM Alain and SM Norazhar from Caldecott MRT station showed teamwork and empathy to assist a boy with autism. Photo: SMRT

With the help of his colleagues, Station Manager (SM) Norazhar Bin Omar, 45, and ASM Muhammad Hafiz Bin Latiff, 29, SASM Goon managed to locate and coax the boy to the first aid room, where they cleaned and bandaged his wounds.

Upon realising the boy could not share his name and address, SASM Goon found a mobile phone number in the boy’s bag and spoke to his mother.

“She told me that her son has autism and thanked us for taking care of him,” said SASM Goon.

Frontline staff efforts part of SMRT’s WeCare service ethos

The story of SASM Alain, SM Norazhar and ASM Hafiz, as well as that of their colleague ASM Heiadayah (see other post here) are examples of SMRT’s WeCare service ethos put into practice, where frontline staff go the extra mile to provide commuter-centric, safe, reliable and comfortable journeys.

The WeCare service ethos can be found in the suite of services by SMRT, such as dementia Go-To Points and Go-To SMRT. These are all part of SMRT’s efforts to build affinity and better serve commuters on our network.

This post was adapted from the article “SMRT’s WeCare service ethos is powered by its frontline staff”, the full version of which was published in The Sunday Times on 3 April 2022.

SMRT wins UITP award for Go-To initiative

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SMRT is honoured and humbled to share that its efforts to serve commuters better have now been internationally recognised.

The Singapore-based public transport operator was named winner of the Marketing Campaign category at the 6th International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Awards 2021 for its “Go-To SMRT” initiative whereby its commuter services and facilities were enhanced to better serve the community.

Under Go-To SMRT, members of the public are encouraged to embrace SMRT-operated transport nodes as the first place they turn to for their common needs such as wayfinding, first aid, dementia Go-To Points (GTP), locating missing children or the elderly that may help in their commutes in the public transport network.

Others nominated for the marketing campaign category were public transport firm Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (SITB) which operates metro, tram and bus lines in the Belgian capital Brussels, and Transports Publics Genevois which runs most of the public transport system in the Geneva district of Switzerland.

The ceremony for the prestigious UITP Awards was held during the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition in Dubai on 6 Feb 2022.

A total of 320 projects from 28 finalists contested for awards in 8 categories, including for climate and health, diversity and inclusion, and operational & technological excellence.

Held biennially, the UITP Awards is a key date on the annual calendar of public transport industries. According to the UITP, the Awards showcase the most ambitious and innovative projects in cities and regions around the world. For the marketing campaign category, UITP said they look for “creative, original and result-oriented” projects which “make a positive impact on the perception of public transport while reinforcing customer trust in the services provided. It can be a stand-alone campaign, or as part of a wider one that is aligned with the overall strategy and objectives of the organisation.

Serving commuters within SMRT’s network

Launched in April 2021, Go-To SMRT features a unique “Scan & Go-To” QR code which is like a digital concierge service for commuters to easily access useful travel information. It includes Go-To Maps featuring frequently-asked-for amenities surrounding the stations, train and bus timings, and alternative travel information. Facilities such as first aid rooms and WeCare rooms have been refreshed to make them more welcoming and comfortable.

Posted by SMRT on Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Scenario-based training has also been included to the training curriculum for SMRT’s frontline staff at MRT stations and bus interchanges so that they can confidently and competently handle a variety of situations more commonly encountered within the network.

The training is provided by partner organisations such as the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, Guide Dogs Singapore Ltd (GDS) and the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA).

The Go-To initiative complements SMRT-run train stations and bus interchanges listed as Dementia Go-To Points (GTP) by the Agency for Integrated Care as part of a collaboration between SMRT and AIC under the Dementia-Friendly Singapore initiative.

GTPs are touch points within the community that serve as resource centres to provide information and useful resources on dementia and link those who need help with relevant dementia-related services. It also serves as a ‘safe return’ point where members of the public can bring persons living with dementia who may appear lost for help. Trained SMRT staff will be able to assist in helping to contact their next-of-kin.

As of February 2022, 46 train stations on SMRT’s network and all four bus interchanges that the company runs are dementia GTPs. By the end of 2022, all 98 SMRT-run train stations on the North-South and East West Lines, and the Thomson-East Coast Line will be listed at dementia GTPs.

Staying commuter-centric

While a nod to SMRT’s efforts, the UITP award is also another reminder that providing safe, reliable and comfortable journeys on SMRT’s public transport network remains the company’s top priority.

As SMRT Group CEO Mr Neo Kian Hong aptly summed up when the Go-To SMRT initiative was launched in April 2021, “Go-To SMRT is a key part of our WeCare service ethos, which seeks to care for everyone we meet and serve.”