Longer waiting times for some buses as almost 80 bus captains affected by Covid-19 surge

LTA said that waiting times may increase if cases climb further.

Zi Shan Kow | February 16, 2022, 02:20 PM

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SBS Transit said on Feb. 15 that a shortage of close to 80 bus captains resulted in longer waiting times for some bus services.

"Unprecedented surge"

In a Facebook post, the public transport operator said that the number of bus captains affected by Covid-19 has been "on the increase".

The longer waiting times for some buses were caused by an "unprecedented surge" in bus captains who reported ill on Feb. 15.

"For this, we do apologise to affected passengers for the inconvenience caused and seek their understanding," wrote SBS Transit.

The operator said that 99 per cent of its bus captains have been vaccinated, and display mild or no Covid-19 symptoms while recovering in isolation.

SBS Transit encouraged commuters to factor in longer waiting times for buses when planning their journeys, and use the SBS Transit mobile app or the LTA’s MyTransport app for more details on the arrival time of specific bus services.

Increase in waiting time

In a separate Facebook post, Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that they are monitoring the situation closely to minimise disruption.

"However, should the number of cases climb further, commuters may see an increase in waiting times for more bus services," LTA said.

SBS Transit said that it will work with LTA to make adjustments, such as lengthening the headways for some services and deploying more double-deck buses for services with higher loading.

https://mothership.sg/2022/02/moh-update-covid-19-feb-15/

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