Public transport operators offering up to S$20,000 in signing bonuses, govt reviewing bus captain starting salaries: Jeffrey Siow

The government is reviewing the starting salaries of bus captains to improve recruitment, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said in a written reply on Feb. 27.

He was responding to a parliamentary question posed by Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Abdul Muhaimin, who asked about the Ministry of Transport's plans to further professionalise bus captain roles.

The Workers' Party MP also asked about the ministry's plans to encourage more young Singaporeans to join the trade.

Bus captain salaries

In his reply, Siow said, "The government is also reviewing starting salaries to improve recruitment of new drivers."

Apart from the starting salary review, he mentioned that public transport operators have introduced sign-on bonuses of up to S$20,000 to attract more locals to join the industry.

Working conditions are also being improved through better rest facilities as well as optimisation of duty rosters, Siow said.

"They have also introduced more flexible work arrangements and part-time opportunities to cater to a more diverse profile of prospective bus captains," Siow said.

Career progression pathways being looked into

On professionalisation, Siow said that bus captains receive structured training by bus operators and the Singapore Bus Academy.

This ensures that they have a common set of skills to handle their work responsibilities, the acting minister explained.

Career progression pathways are also being reviewed by the Land Transport Authority and the National Transport Workers' Union so that bus captains have the opportunity to progress into training or mentorship roles, or manage other aspects of bus operations, Siow explained.

Top image via Jeffrey Siow / Facebook