Commentaries to the types of Bus Captain (drivers) we hate in Singapore – Written by Lester Goh

1.Bus drivers that close the door on us

Alamak! Is the driver blind is it?!” Bus drivers sometimes close the doors on us even if we are right in front of the door already after we run like dogs after the bus. Why don’t open the door?

My Commentaries: 

This is certainly due to time schedule pressure and to avoid congestion at Interchange boarding berth or bus stop.

Boarding a pax takes about 5sec each. However, in high pax traffic bus stop or interchange, just by waiting for one more pax to get into the bus, will give rise to a host of chain reaction of jam up, schedule delayed for others travelling pax and congestion in the said bus stop or boarding berth.

Take for example in Woodlands Regional Interchange (WRI); originally, the said pax have no intention to take  Bus Service 858 for his final destination at Bus Stop 845 along Woodlands Ave 7 (just 2 bus stop away from WRI). For your info, for the pax to alight at this Bus Stop; he has an overwhelmed choice to take one of the following Bus service: 900, 911, 904, 913, 969, 964, 965 and 858 to reach there; that is a total of 8 different bus services to take him home !.

A case in point, originally he is waiting at Berth 6 (the one that is nearest to the escalator from Level 2) for Service 904, but  when he saw 858 approaching Berth 4, to board pax, he will walk towards Berth 4 and attempt to board bus service 858; so if the bus captain waited for him to complete his 50M walk, extra waiting time will be needed, congestion will also built up and not been fair to those pax that already boarded the bus much earlier, right ? 

Worst, another pax nearby will also start to make the run and that will create a host of chain reaction….

The morale of the story is that, pax has a certain responsibility to come early to berth or bus stop to wait for your intended service bus.

 

2.Bus drivers who don’t reply properly to questions

“Uh.. Uncle, this bus go to Gaint?” Nods head, so slightly, if you don’t notice, you will have to ask again. Alamak, is it that difficult to give a full answer—or any answer at all?

My Commentaries: 

2 things are been overlooked here. 

A large proportion of our Bus Captains are foreigners and are not conversant to string together a proper sentence in English.

Somehow, In Singapore, whenever a pax would to ask “anything” to the Bus Captain; the natural lingua franca will be either English or Singlish. If, I am a Chinese PRC Bus Captain, do you think, I can fully understand what you are asking? 

The other is that the Question is usually wrongly asked or put to the Bus Captain?

I can share with you two frequently asked question for Bus Service 858:

A. what time can arrive at Changi Airport ?, what time ? – as a Singaporean Bus Captain myself, I usually do not even attempt to answer it.  

B. is this bus go to “Gaint”?. I will reply, I do not know !.

The morale of the story is that, pax has a certain responsibility not to assume that Bus Captain will have all the answer for all your wrongly put questions.

 

3.Bus drivers who drive dangerously

Ah.. Hello. Uncle ah, Jangan drive so fast lah. Makcik later fall down how? Yes, there’s a schedule to be fulfilled, but there’s another thing to be fulfilled, too: SAFETY!

My Commentaries: 

2 things are needed to clarify here. 

Driving fast (max 60km/hr) that is steady and  practicing the 3 sec rule is certainly safe and it is not dangerous or endangering the pax on board.

It is the accelerating-decelerating (jerking) and sudden braking of the bus that can be uncomfortable and endanger the pax. I agreed that, some of my colleagues does drive the public buses in this manner. 

I would encourage the pax, to take a walk to the front to info the said Bus Captain to his driving style. Alternatively, please call our customer hot line to share your concern.

4.Bus drivers that are too “ON”

Bus driver gets off his seat, walks all the way to the back to your seat and shouts loudly, “Eh! You pay 10cents short!” Sometimes, I wonder whether they’ve got commission from the fares…

My Commentaries: 

Bus Captain is not entitled to any fare commission. The onus is on the pax to pay the correct fare. The main source of Bus revenue comes from fare collection. It is not the 10cents per se, it is about paying the correct fare for the service that you needed.

This is not a rule, there are cases, a boarding pax, just came to me and requested to be allowed to travel FOC, and I would just allowed it for his sincerity.

5.Bus drivers that drive like snails

Eh bro. Why so slow? I late already. Please lah, drive faster a bit lah.

Although many of the bus drivers are rude and unhelpful, there are many of them who are complete opposites. They are helpful, kind, courteous, friendly and at times, even generous. I met one who offered to pay for the fare for an old auntie who has no change. God, bless that driver. And SMRT, give him a pay raise!

All in all, we are still thankful for your service to us no matter whether you are the friendly bus driver or the not so friendly one!

My Commentaries: 

Technically, in our Bus Captain jargon, this is termed as “goyang”. 

The reasons are to avoid bus bunching (maintain sufficient headways), and because of favorable road (green waves) and traffic conditions due to low peak period  that allows the Bus Captain to drive slowly.

Locally, it is so slow that, someone will call it as “driving a dead man’s car”. However, as rule, majority of the bus captains does not like to "goyang".

I would encourage the pax, to allocate sufficient travelling time for unforeseen situations or circumstances.