One 71-year-old woman was left amused and confused after a Tower Transit bus driver told her to sit on the lower deck instead of going up to the upper deck.
Retired civil servant Julia d'Silva recounted the exchange in a Facebook post, reported The Straits Times (ST).
She wrote that she has been taking the bus service 106 from Clementi to the city for the past three years, and has sat on the upper deck daily.
She explained that she relishes the opportunity to read while on her commute.
However, on Oct. 20, she was told by a bus driver to take a seat on the lower deck instead.
The driver explained to her that it was a "company directive" to tell senior citizens not to sit on the upper deck for their safety, ST reported.
But he eventually let her go up after she told him that she usually sits on the upper deck.
Grateful but asserts her continued strength
Expressing her gratitude for the concern shown by the transport operators toward seniors, d’Silva stressed that not all elderly individuals are frail and weak.
“I should have told him I was going to the gym to lift weights!” she added.
The retiree shared that she has been lifting weights and doing pilates for 10 years.
“I’m agile. I don’t feel 71," she said.
“I’m very careful too. I hold the railings and make sure the bus is at a standstill before I go down.
“When I’m holding heavy bags, I stay (on the lower deck).”
Bus operators' efforts to reduce accident
In response to Mothership's queries, Glenn Lim, director of communications and customer experience at Tower Transit, said that the operator tries to foster "a culture of care" for their passengers.
This is especially for vulnerable passengers like seniors, pregnant women and people with disabilities and mobility challenges.
Lim explained that Tower Transit bus drivers encourage these passengers to stay seated while the bus is moving, and to sit on the lower deck in case they fall while climbing up and down the stairs.
But in the end, passengers are free to sit "wherever they wish".
"If they choose to sit at the upper deck anyway, our hope is that the bus captain’s show of concern would make them more aware of the need to be careful," he said.
A spokesperson from SBS Transit, Grace Wu, told ST that the transport operator similarly encourages elderly commuters to sit on the lower deck.
This is part of their “Travel Safe” campaign that was launched just before the Covid-19 pandemic to promote safe travel habits.
“Passenger safety is of the utmost importance to us,” she said.
Top photos from Tower Transit Singapore