SINGAPORE: Thousands of Formula One fans were left stranded in Singapore on Friday night (3 Oct) after the last MRT train departed just an hour after the F1 fan zone concert concluded.
The show, featuring South Korean superstar G-Dragon, ended at around 11.30pm.
However, the last trains departed at 12.30am, leaving large crowds struggling to make their way home.
According to The Straits Times, some 65,000 people attended the Padang Stage concert that night.
The situation was highlighted by F1-accredited photographer Kym Illman in an Instagram post on 4 October, where he questioned why the MRT service ended so early on a Grand Prix weekend.
He wrote that it was “bizarre” for trains to close at 12.30am, adding that “it’s not like the crowds were unexpected.”
He also noted that thousands of fans struggled to get home, with many roads around the circuit blocked.
View this post on Instagram
On TikTok, a video uploaded by user @kpherluke showed a sea of people standing shoulder to shoulder with barely any movement.
The clip, which has since garnered more than 835,000 views, was captioned: “Been to F1 Singapore many times, this is my first time encountering this standstill.”
“Public Transport Hours Should Be Extended,” Say Netizens
On social media, many netizens commented that public transport hours should be extended during major events, with some even suggesting that the MRT should run 24 hours during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.
One user claimed it had been the same since 2008, with trains extended by only an hour and the majority of people still ending up stuck.
Another added that the MRT should have known better, as the F1 night race in Singapore has been held for more than 10 years.
It is noted that ahead of the races, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had already announced longer operating hours from 3 to 5 October.
On 3 October, the last trains on the North-South and East-West Lines departed from City Hall station at 12.30am, while on 4 and 5 October the final services ran until 1am.
Commuting Responsibility
Some netizens argued that fans should be mindful of the last train timings if they planned to rely on public transport.
“It’s already been extended by an hour, and if you need to get a train home, I suggest you leave early,” one user commented.
Another replied that leaving early was not an option due to the sheer congestion.
“If we could, we would have. It was massive human congestion at the Padang—literally shuffling our feet from Padang to City Hall, can’t even walk properly.”
Others suggested turning to private-hire cars or taxis.
“Pretty sure it’s not that difficult to hail a cab or a Grab car. The fares are nothing compared to the F1 tix,” one user remarked.
Complaints Over Crowd Management
Beyond train timings, others pointed to poor crowd control as a factor in the chaos.
On TikTok, one user claimed that security guards were blocking track exits and giving conflicting directions, which forced people to walk in circles before eventually being able to leave the venue.
The post F1 photographer calls MRT last trains at 12.30am on Grand Prix weekend ‘bizarre’ after thousands stranded appeared first on The Online Citizen.
