A Petition to allow the Drinking of Plain Water and the Feeding of Infants in the MRT and Buses

The recent SMRT FAQs on restriction of food and drink state: "Under the RTS Regulations, SMRT issues Notification of Offences (NOOs) to commuters who are caught eating or drinking, plain water inclusive, while LTA mete out the fine."

http://www.smrt.com.sg/pdf/FAQ_Restriction\%20of\%20Food\%20and\%20Drink\%20Consumption.pdf

Currently, according to SMRT policy, babies are not allowed to be fed and consumers cannot drink even plain water when they are thirsty. Special permission is only given in the event of medical emergency "such as asthma attack, heart attack or epileptic fit".

Commuters may easily get thirsty in a long train ride. Having to disembark in order to feed babies would also result in an increase in travelling time. Commuters taking medicine also need to drink water. Although such cases may well fall under the ambit of "medical emergency", policing the MRT to ensure only those taking medicine are allowed to drink water results in inefficient manpower allocation and requires much effort from train officers which would otherwise be unnecessary.

It is submitted that the current policy is inflexible and results in a less pleasant commuting experience. SMRT, SBS, and LTA should consider allowing plain water and infant feeding on trains and buses as an exception to the general rule. Laws and regulations should be set at a standard that the ordinary man can comply with without too much discomfort or inconvenience, and enforcement of regulations should be guided by considerations of reasonableness. Drinking plain water is hardly disagreeable to other commuters and infants who are hungry may tend to cry loudly, which would be a greater nuisance.

The policy not to allow eating and drinking in general is not disputed. It is understood that the policy is meant to prevent public nuisance.