'Electronic guardian' screens commuters at Jurong East MRT station for suspicious items

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The human security radar can screen up to 10,000 people in an hour. (Photo: Facebook/LTA)

SINGAPORE: An automatic mass walk-through security screening system was deployed for the first time on Friday (Apr 5) at Jurong East MRT station by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

The human security radar, dubbed the 'electronic guardian' by LTA, can screen up to 10,000 people per hour, the authority said in a Facebook post.

"This helps to screen more commuters in real-time, without disrupting people flow," it added.

 

During the emergency preparedness exercise, MRT commuters entering Jurong East station were directed between the white panels or through metal detectors and X-ray machines, said the LTA in a media fact sheet.

The systems are "certified to be safe for the human body" and are compliant with international safety standards, the authority added.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a Facebook post: "It helps us pick up weapons or explosives that may be carried by potential saboteurs."

 

Mr Khaw, who added that he had a titanium plate implanted in his left shoulder after suffering an injury in February, walked through the radar with "ease" and declared it was safe.

"MRT stations are vulnerable to terrorist attacks," he said. "Question is how to secure them, without causing too much hassle to commuters, especially during peak hours. This is not a trivial question.

"Just see how airport security measures have required departing passengers to arrive earlier at the airport. Technology has to provide the solutions. CT scanners in Terminal 4 are costly but they speed up security checks."