Dialect-friendly Announcements at Chinatown

Safety Announcements for escalators are not a new occurrence in the rail network. Implemented at escalators with higher commuter traffic, these announcements are conventionally broadcasted multilingually in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

Cantonese and Hokkien Dialects

The new implementation at Chinatown Station Exit A on the North East Line (NEL) adapts to the minority of commuters like the elderly who frequent there.

Among that group of commuters, some might not understand the usual spoken Mandarin but are more familiar with dialects such as Cantonese or Hokkien.

A great initiative to cultivate an inclusive society

This initiative not only improves safety by reminding our elders to hold onto the escalator handrails.

Dialect-speaking elders would feel more included in the society with this new implementation, especially since the usual spoken Mandarin is still the majority among the Chinese-speaking demographic in Singapore.

It might even come as a pleasant surprise for those who are familiar with dialects too!

doh jeh! gum xia!