Higher pay attracts new blood to bus industry, but job demands make retention a challenge, say bus captains

Experts and industry insiders said the job is inherently demanding, adding that higher salaries would help make the role more attractive and also improve retention at the same time.

WAGES NOT THE ONLY FACTOR

While the higher starting pay would attract more people to join, several bus captains who spoke to CNA said they have seen many younger colleagues join and leave shortly after, despite several rounds of salary increments and sign-on bonus hikes in previous years.

One Singaporean bus captain, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said: “I think most of the newcomers will join the industry without a full understanding of what bus captains deal with.”

Beyond driving safely, bus captains have to handle customer service, long hours on the road and take on split-shift assignments, said the driver, who is in his 30s.

For such assignments, drivers will start their shifts to cover the morning peak period and go for their breaks after that. They will then resume working another shift in the evening peak period. Bus captains are not paid for the rest time between their shifts.

Many new drivers may not be prepared for these demands, he added.

“I don’t see the retention rate improving in the short term,” he said.

Another bus captain, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chong, said the prospect of waking up as early as 3am to drive the first bus, which leaves the depot before 5am, could come as a rude shock to some new joiners.

“Could they endure it, waking up at 3am regularly? This job also doesn’t have regular mealtimes, or working hours,” said Mr Chong, a Singapore permanent resident. “Some can do it for a few months, but many can’t handle it for years.”

The bus captain of 10 years, who is in his 40s, said he has seen local bus captains join the industry only to leave after six months to a year.