My Last Few Words....

Bus driving is a high risk environment job.

You need to stay calm and cool to give 100% of your attention to the road.

Millions of residents that performed economic activities here commute from their home by public buses. Some 60% BC whom are currently providing services of driving public buses are from Malaysia and China. Perhaps, at a certain point in time of the world economic cycle, the Malaysian and Chinese PRC are no longer willing to come on over to support us, it will certainly have some real impact to our National Economic Defence and manpower supply base to the Public Transport Industry here.  

I believe NTUC already did analyze and recognize this potential economic threat; I quote, “In 11 Jan 2015, NTUC’s newsletter “this week”, NTUC’s Transport and Logistics Cluster published a short article with the following plan of action;

“The Transport and Logistics Cluster plans to equip more locals with driving skills and safe driving abilities, and enable them to embark on jobs such as Bus Captains in the Public Transport industry. This will help meet the growing demand for Bus Captains in the next two to three years.” It is with this similar heartfelt concern that, I wrote this blog for sharing and hopefully and it can complement the planned strategy and effort by NTUC. 

Been a BC, life can be very humbling. It is hard, demanding, regimented and at time been seen to be excluded from my family and the main-stream normal society activities. I have found my answer on the question why the take up rate by locals are so low, and I certainly empathize with my fellow country man even though they harbour no desire to become a BC even for their pre or post retirement period of their career life. 

My personal finding is that, it is indeed not a preferred choice for our local to become as a Bus Captain. The compensation and benefit are pale in comparison to the high job risk factor, passenger outburst and sacrifices that a BC has to be subjected to daily. 

Under such circumstances, if improving or increasing local BC "compensation and benefit” is indeed the magic pill or the " best route " to tackle this potential manpower supply base shortages, the employer, the bus operator may not have the capability or justification to handle it. It is my hope that, the Government can tweak the current WIS to exclude the gross income condition for those working in this beyond normal working hour’s category industry and be compensated with token based on their Basic Salary will be much welcomed.

Lastly, if your passion and force in you is strong to “moving people, enhancing lives”; and if you can manage its packaged ups and downs well, it still can be a rewarding career for you. Good Luck, success, and fair wind in your journey to become a Bus Captain, Salute.

Effective 26^th of Jan 2016, I will be seconded to Train Ops; as Trainee Train Captain.

It has been an honour and pleasure to have serve you wholeheartedly.

This is blog is dedicated to some 10,000 strong Public Transport Bus Captains in Singapore, driving some 5,000 buses, working day and night, every day, non-stop.

And

Trainers and Mentors

I am Grateful to my wife and sons for their support, compromises and understanding, in seeing me to be successful in this new Career as Bus Captain.