LTA’s new seats with hand-grips maybe dangerous in an accident

Dear Editor,

I have an article which I hope your website The Independent can seriously look into and publish.

I’m writing to you about the new hand grip seats at the bus stops (see attached). I understand that many of the current bus stops were changed to more expensive ones at $1500/bench.

And after this expensive exercise, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is engaging in another major exercise to replace those benches with newer ones with hand grips.

There come the issue.

If a vehicle loses control and crashes into the bus-stop, the new hand grip seats will act as a slicer and and cut the body of the person sitting within the seat, unlike the original seats. These were open types and if a vehicle crashes into it, the person will just get flung off. The seats with hand grips may cause the person to die instantaneously unlike the open types, where the person may have a chance to survive with injuries.

I understand that most bus stops come with protective bollards (concrete poles) but if a passenger’s vehicle can crash through bollards, then what about heavier vehicles? Remember many years back at Penang Road, a car crashed into a bus stop and a handful of people inside the bus stop were injured then, even with the bollards which were smashed off.

Concerned party