Wheelchairs, strollers and seniors

Question 1

Is Singapore wheelchair friendly for visitors?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the trains are built for wheelchairs, with a barrier-free route in every station, and the buses have ramps and wheelchair spaces. Around 98% of bus stops are barrier-free, and a wheelchair logo on the pole marks them. For places to go, start with the step-free list, then try the Peranakan Museum for a first afternoon.

Question 2

Can I take a wheelchair or mobility scooter on the MRT and buses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both fit the shared space on trains and buses if they stay within 120cm long, 70cm wide, 150cm high and 300kg with the rider. On a bus, ask the captain to deploy the rear-door ramp, and wait for the next bus if the space is taken. Mobility scooters also need a Certificate of Medical Need on public paths, so ask LTA how that works for visitors before you fly.

Question 3

Do seniors and wheelchair users get priority on the MRT and buses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, MRT and LRT stations and bus interchanges have priority queue zones with seats, beside the usual queues. They are for older passengers, expectant mothers, families with strollers and commuters with disabilities. On buses, the seats between the doors and the first row after the exit door are priority seats. Station staff at the Passenger Service Centres can help, and every station and interchange is a go-to point if someone with dementia seems lost.

Question 4

Can I book a wheelchair-accessible taxi or ride in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both Grab and ComfortDelGro can send a car with boot space for a folded wheelchair. Grab also offers a ride with extra help for seniors and people with disabilities, and a ramp option for wheelchair users. Choose the wheelchair option when you book, since ride-hail apps are required to offer one.

Question 5

Do seniors get cheaper MRT and bus fares in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Not as visitors: the senior fare cards are for Singapore Citizens and PRs above 60. Citizens use the PAssion Silver card and PRs the Senior Citizen Concession Card, so a visiting senior usually pays the adult fare. Compare the Singapore Tourist Pass with a tap-in bank card before you buy.

Question 6

Do seniors get discounts at Singapore museums and attractions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, visiting seniors aged 60 and above pay a concession rate at the National Museum, the National Gallery, the Singapore Art Museum and the Chinatown Heritage Centre. Bring your passport, because the counters ask for proof of identity. Other attractions set their own rules, so read each ticket page before you plan around a senior price.

Question 7

Which Singapore museums are wheelchair accessible?

Accepted Answer

The National Museum, the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum, the National Gallery and the Singapore Art Museum all say every gallery can be reached by wheelchair. Each lends a manual wheelchair, free at the National Museum and SAM, and the ACM and Peranakan Museum also lend foldable stools. Visitors with disabilities and one carer go in free at the Gallery. We'd start at the Peranakan Museum, where lifts reach every gallery.

Question 8

Is the Singapore Botanic Gardens wheelchair friendly?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the whole Gardens is wheelchair friendly, with wheelchair-friendly parking and washrooms and a dedicated route through the National Orchid Garden that avoids its east-end stairs. Visitor Services Desks lend wheelchairs free between 8am and 5.30pm. Entry is free everywhere except the National Orchid Garden, so it makes an easy first outing. See Singapore Botanic Gardens for the way in.

Question 9

Can I rent a wheelchair at Gardens by the Bay?

Accepted Answer

Yes, wheelchairs rent for S$2 a day at the Arrival Gift Shop and the ticketing counters at The Canopy and Floral Fantasy, and go back by 8.30pm. Wheelchair users ride the Gardens shuttle free, in a foldable manual or lightweight foldable electric chair up to 1.2m by 0.7m by 1.5m, and a carer needs a ticket. Strollers should use the lifts, not the escalators.

Question 10

Can I borrow a wheelchair at Singapore Zoo and the other Mandai parks?

Accepted Answer

Yes, complimentary wheelchairs are at the entrances to Singapore Zoo and the other Mandai parks for guests with limited mobility, first come, first served. The parks are built to be wheelchair and stroller friendly, but on the tram at the Zoo and Night Safari, the Bird Paradise shuttle and the Amazon River Quest boat, chairs and strollers must be folded into the marked zones. Strollers, wagons and trikes rent as an add-on when you book.

Question 11

Is Sentosa accessible by wheelchair?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Sentosa works for wheelchair users, with free wheelchair loans at Beach Station and Sensoryscape against a refundable S$50 deposit. Bus 123 is wheelchair accessible, but Sentosa's access guide says the beach shuttle and trams are not, so accessible vans run instead: ask at the station counter or call 1800-RANGERS. Only manual wheelchairs can ride the cable car.

Question 12

Can I borrow a wheelchair or stroller at Changi Airport?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Changi lends complimentary wheelchairs and baby strollers at the information counters in every terminal and at Jewel's counters, first come, first served. The wheelchairs stay inside the airport, so book your airline's wheelchair service at least 48 hours before departure if you need help to the gate. Wheelchair users and families with young children can also use the wider Special Assistance Lanes at immigration, where up to four people clear together.