A local bus captain had his day made when his employer surprised him with a birthday card during his birthday month.

The 46-year-old driver who goes by Mervyn Mikaeel David told Mothership that he is nearing his one-year anniversary with the bus operator Tower Transit Singapore (TTS).

A small gesture

On the morning of Jan. 4, Mervyn showed up at work to collect his duty pack from the company's dispatch centre.

He wasn't expecting to find something extra nestled within.

Taking out the unfamiliar envelope from the pack, the driver discovered that it contained a birthday card from the company.

Mervyn turns 47 on Jan. 26, 2024.

The card read: "Wishing you health and joy this birthday and every day down the road!"

Its message was attributed to the "Tower Transit Family" and signed by the company's managing director, Winston Toh.

Featuring artwork of TTS employees on the back, the card appeared to be a standard one issued to employees nearing their birthdays.

Happy driver

Even the little things can mean the world to people.

Although it was a simple gift, the card made the bus driver feel appreciated and recognised for his hard work, so much so that he took a photo of the gift and shared it with Mothership.

"I only received the birthday card, nothing else, but that's enough to show how [the company] appreciates their bus captains. I always believe it's not the quantity that counts but the quality," Mervyn said.

"This is just one of the many reasons why TTS is different," he added, sharing that the management is "down to earth" and goes "the extra mile to show they care".

"It may just be a birthday card to some but to me, it's a reflection of the company. And I'm thankful for that!"

Mervyn has been a bus captain since 2018.

He worked with two other local bus operators before joining TTS.

Speaking to Mothership, a spokesperson for the company said that it was "really nice to know that [the] staff appreciate these little gestures".

The spokesperson said that TTS gives a birthday card to its employees during their birthday month.

"Our MD Winston makes it a point to write every name and sign-off on every card, so that it’s personal. He signs an average of 150 cards each month. He also visits our bus interchanges a few times a week to say hi and chat with our frontline staff, so he knows many of our bus captains personally and they feel very comfortable approaching him.

It’s part of an open, friendly company culture that we take pains to cultivate, where our people feel welcomed and treated as family."

Top photos by Mervyn Mikaeel David