In a number of MRT rides, even after the recent publication effort to raise awareness , I was disappointed to see many seats intended for the "someone who needs it more than you do" (hereby call it "priority list") to be seated by the non-priority who ignored passengers who could have fitted the priority list description standing near them.
During my normal rides, I will prefer to stand on the rides to avoid the trouble of moving up & down to give up seats. However, I decided to do a small experiment.
I boarded the train at a station before one that is likely to have elderlys boarding. I took a vacant seat (a non-priority seat) and gave it up to an elder who boarded at the next station who thanked me with a grateful relief of smile while those seated earlier beside me remained indifferent to other passengers who seem to fit the priority list.
After a few stations, the elder whom I gave up the seat notified me of an empty seat behind me. I looked around & do not find other standing passengers who fit the description of priority list, hence I gladly took the seat thinking of giving it up to next passenger on priority list instead of letting it being occupied by other potential indifferent passengers.
At next station, I received another grateful "thank you" from an elder who also signalled me to next available seat.
So, the saying : "Good begets Good" is true in this small experiment. This is a surprise as I didn't expect the outcome. Hence, on my return trip, I repeated the process and the result is the same, the elderlys all repay with a gratitude smile and word of "Thank you" and notified me of next available seat.
I guess a little inconvenience of moving up & down to give up the seats is nothing compared to the smile by the priority list.
Try this experiment yourself, in a way, this could be a way to lead other indifference passengers to participate in the act. (But of course don't be disappointed if you gave up a seat to someone who didn't thank you, sometimes they are just too engrossed in their own thoughts:P)
If you feel troublesome, just imagine the next priority passenger as your aging parents or grandparents or relative or pregnant wife who will be so happy to receive a seat for their tired legs. (Hopefully, this could help create a little positive karma that when your kins travel on public transport, they could be identified as on priority list and given a seat as well.) :-)
I do miss the courtesy lion mascot, Singa, and the rigorous advertisement of the courtesy campaign that had left a deep impression for my generation (or at least to me) during my childhood days (haha, that reveals my age:P).
I found some info on Singa, and the old National Courtesy Campaign, you may refer to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Courtesy_Campaign_(Singapore) .
I do hope that there could be a good revival of Singa's courtesy campaigns.
***New MTV on good etiquette, pls click here to view! :-)
Cheers :-)
You may refer to the demo at their web: http://www.d-kidz.com/comensee2.html. 
