Transport Minister Lui on management of bus drivers

By Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Apr 2012

Transport operators will need to hire about 1,600 more bus drivers for the 800 new buses that will go on the roads over five years.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the government will not micro-manage wages or employment terms to attract and retain manpower.

He added that operators must also ensure drivers - no matter what their nationality - are given adequate training and are appropriately qualified.

It takes an average of about two bus drivers to operate a bus throughout the day.

So with the additional 800 buses, Mr Lui said there will be a significant increase in the overall manpower requirement facing the public bus industry.

It is a challenge operators have to overcome on their own.

He said: "The public bus operators will also have to compete with other companies that similarly have to target locals in the face of a reduction in intake of foreign labour."

"Nonetheless, how the public bus operators intend to improve their wages and employment terms to attract and retain sufficient bus drivers is ultimately...for the PTOs (public transport operators) to decide as the government will not micro-manage such matters. However, this is clearly a top priority for both bus operators, and I understand they are currently in talks with the unions on this."

MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Zaqy Mohamad raised concerns about foreign bus drivers, following the fatal accident involving a SBS Transit bus driver in Sengkang last week.

He said: "Because I am quite certain that a significant number of this increase would include bus drivers. Just last week, we had an accident involving two foreign bus drivers.

"I would like to ask the minister what are the measures put in place to ensure our foreign bus drivers are well qualified, adaptable and can assimilate as well and do their job effectively here and without compromising the safety of other other road users and pedestrians."

Mr Lui said that currently, about 61 per cent of bus drivers are locals or Permanent Residents. About 26 per cent are Malaysians and about 13 per cent are from China.

He said training of drivers must go beyond equipping them with skills for the job.

Mr Lui said: "Indeed, we are all saddened by that incident that happened in Sengkang last week, and regardless whether it is a local driver or foreign driver, I think it is something that we want to very much avoid as much possible.

"The more important thing actually is to make sure (that), regardless of nationality, every driver is adequately trained, appropriately qualified, and especially if they come from abroad, then they are given the kind of orientation that will help them familiarise themselves with the peculiarities of the system in Singapore.

"We must not only train the drivers in terms of equipping them with the skills, but preparing them for life in Singapore which may be very different from what they are accustomed to in the past, hence part of the training programme is to make sure we infuse them with the responsibility that they carry when they drive a vehicle like a bus and to make sure that they pay stringent attention to road conditions."

There were concerns over bus drivers working long hours and if a review of working conditions is needed to enhance public safety.

Mr Lui said he believes the ratio of two drivers to operate each bus is adequate.

He said what is important is to emphasise safety and ensure drivers are properly trained.

There were also suggestions for private bus operators to supplement public transport, especially during peak hours.

Nominated Member of Parliament Teo Siong Seng asked: "Would the ministry consider working with private bus operators and their bus drivers to supplement the public transport during the peak hours - morning and evening - without having to put more buses on the roads and having to fight for the limited number of drivers on the road?"

Mr Lui replied: "This is something that the LTA (Land Transport Authority) is exploring. It is not something that is so easy to implement because...the private operators...are trying to maximise the utilisation of the fleet as much as possible, and the peak hours - whether for workers using private buses or for general public commuting on public buses - are roughly about the same, and so the demand for buses - whether they are from the private or the public bus companies - generally would tend to peak during the same period.

"Nonetheless, this something that the LTA is trying to explore with private bus companies to see if there is some room to do as you have suggested."

Similar to the public bus operators, there is a limit to how much the government can and should intervene in the labour market for the wider private bus industry.

Mr Lui said in particular, bus driver salaries for this sector should remain market-driven, and private bus operators should make their own commercial decisions on how to ensure that their businesses remain viable in the face of a tightening labour market.