Singapore bus operators attract more local drivers after dangling sign-on bonuses of up to $20,000

He said he supported a suggestion to raise the starting salary for bus drivers – which is now around $3,600, including overtime – to attract new recruits.

The authorities are in talks with the bus operators and the National Transport Workers’ Union about this, Mr Siow added.

The Acting Minister said in February that while bus operators already have sign-on bonuses for local bus drivers, the possibility of adjusting starting salaries had to be looked at.

Earlier in October 2025, in his reply to a parliamentary question, Mr Siow said there were about 9,700 bus drivers in Singapore in 2024.

As at December 2024, 28 per cent of them were Singaporean, 15 per cent were PRs and 57 per cent were foreign work pass holders.

SBST told ST it saw an 8 per cent increase in local bus driver hires in 2025, compared with 2024.

The operator noted that the $20,000 is paid regularly in tranches, starting from the completion of training and continuing every six months for the first two years of service – over which $6,000 would be disbursed.

Following that, the remaining amount is paid annually until the full sum is fully disbursed over the next three years.

To qualify for the sign-on bonus, an applicant must be a Singaporean or PR who is at least 21 years old, with a Class 3 or 3A driving licence and at least one year of driving experience. The applicant should also be medically fit to perform operational duties.

SBST’s sign-on bonus was introduced in 2017 and was $3,000 at the time, with the sum rising over the years.

It is not the only operator dangling a $20,000 bonus to woo potential local bus drivers, with Go-Ahead Singapore and SMRT Buses doing likewise.

Go-Ahead Singapore noted a “steady pool” of local residents who expressed interest in joining the company as bus drivers since the introduction of its $20,000 sign-on bonus in November 2025.

The operator had previously offered a sign-on incentive of $10,000.

Go-Ahead did not provide recruitment numbers when asked.

Mr Vincent Gay, deputy managing director at SMRT Buses, said the company has intensified its efforts to attract and retain local bus drivers, including doubling its sign-on bonus to $20,000 from the previous year.

It was offering a sign-on bonus of $10,000 as at July 2025, based on a job advertisement posted to its Facebook page that month.

SMRT also did not provide recruitment figures when asked.

Meanwhile, Tower Transit Singapore has been offering a $7,200 sign-on bonus since 2023, which is paid in quarterly instalments over two years.

A spokesman for the operator said: “Our focus is on long-term career sustainability and sign-on bonuses are just one factor in a holistic talent attraction and retention plan.”

Asked why its sign-on bonus has remained the same since 2023, Tower Transit said it has generally experienced healthy recruitment.

It said it also makes a point of recognising the previous experience of returning bus drivers when deciding on their remuneration package.

Based on job listings posted by the various operators, the gross monthly salary of a public bus driver can reach $4,500.