Please Speak English

As some of you know that Singapore is facing a shortage of bus drivers, as a result, the two bus companies in Singapore are hiring China bus drivers to drive buses in Singapore.

I have taken buses driven by these drivers recently. SBS Transit has deployed these drivers in feeder services while SMRT, due to its smaller market share has deployed them in feeder and trunk services.

The incident which I witnessed today shows just how rude some bus commuters are. A female Indian passenger had boarded the Service 851 that I was on and had asked the driver if the bus goes to Novena Church. As the driver is from China, I do not think he was able to understand what this commuter was talking about. The commuter got fustrated and started to get angry. She kept complaining that bus drivers should be put on training before they are put on the road. I managed to help her by telling her that the bus service only passes by there, and she has to walk from Novena Square.

My question is a bus driver may need to cover more than 1 service due to service demand and exitgencies, therefore it is already hard for a driver to meet the schedule and remember the route. Why subject these drivers to more stress by asking them to learn a language?

I do know of drivers from Service 74, who needs to cover for Services 74E, 91, 99, 147,165, 196, 198  at various instances when they are called upon.

Instead of throwing them brickbats, we should admire their courage by taking the plunge to work in Singapore.