KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he has instructed Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, the owner of RapidRail Sdn Bhd (RapidRail) to revise its standard operating procedures for evacuation after a glitch on its LRT service saw riders having to walk along train tracks.

He stressed that the evacuation process during emergencies must require passengers to be escorted for their safety.

"I have told them (Prasarana Malaysia Bhd) to come up with a better SOP to smoothen the evacuation process and see to it that the passengers are escorted during evacuation to ensure their safety,” he was quoted saying by The Star.

The rail operator came under fire on social media after a glitch stranded dozens of commuters on the elevated train tracks along the Kelana Jaya line during rush hour last Friday.

Some of the stranded commuters posted photos of themselves walking on the tracks towards a station in the rain, which drew criticism from social media users even though it was part of the approved emergency evacuation procedure.

Two prior to that incident, the LRT suffered a technical glitch that similarly stranded commuters at several stations between Gombak and Putra Heights during the peak hour rush.

Prasarana Group managing director Datuk Azmi Abdul Aziz has since announced free rides for commuters from September 13 to 15 to make amends for its LRT service disruptions last week.