Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

In Oct. 2019, Land Transport Authority (LTA) launched the yellow "Excuse me, may I have a seat please?" stickers, as part of an initiative to support commuters who need a seat on public transport due to health conditions or disabilities that may not be outwardly visible.

On Friday (Feb. 19), transport minister Ong Ye Kung said that they have received feedback from commuters who have used the stickers that they have been helpful, and he added that others can contribute their own designs and ideas.

Yellow sticker initiative

Through the initiative, commuters with less visible health conditions or disabilities who need a seat on public transportation can collect the sticker from service staff at MRT stations, bus interchanges, and TransitLink ticket offices.

Some examples of people with "invisible medical conditions" include people with chronic pain, fatigue, or dizziness, heart disease, or arthritis, as well as people who are recovering from a stroke, undergoing cancer treatments, and early-stage expectant mothers.

According to LTA's October 2019 press release on the initiative, commuters requesting for the sticker can show their medical certificates or doctors' letters to the service staff to support their request "if comfortable".

The sticker can then be displayed to alert fellow commuters that they require a seat, and commuters are encouraged to offer their seat to people with the sticker.

These stickers are "part of [LTA's] efforts to promote a caring and gracious commuting culture", said LTA.

Commuters have said stickers are helpful

In a Facebook post on Friday (Feb. 19), Ong wrote that the initiative is meant to make it easier for people with "invisible medical conditions" to ask for a seat.

Ong said that commuters who have used the sticker have said that it has been helpful, and that some other commuters have even started conversations with them in order to better understand the medical condition.

He added that there has been a suggestion that LTA change the sticker to something that can be reused for every trip, such as a lanyard, and that it should have a "suitable and prominent design".

Art competition

He encouraged people to contribute a design by participating in the Who Am I? art competition by Movement of Inclusivity (MOI) and Caring SG Commuters Committee (CCC).

The competition invites people with disability or special needs to share how they see themselves through independently-created artworks within the theme of "Who am I?".

The five best submissions will win S$200 worth of NTUC vouchers, and up to 10 shortlisted artworks will be published on Caring SG Commuters' Facebook page.

The submission deadline is Feb. 25 at 5pm.

More information for how to submit design is available here:

Totally unrelated but follow and listen to our podcast here

Top photo via Facebook / Ong Ye Kung.