Commuter impressed by bus captain who waited for him and his son to be seated before driving off
An SBS Transit bus captain has earned praise online after he waited for a father and his four-year-old son to safely make their way up the stairs of a double-decker bus before driving off.
Bus commuter struggles to get to upper deck
According to a LinkedIn post by Andrew Davey, the incident took place last Saturday (5 Sept) at around 10.34am onboard SBS Transit’s bus service 7.
Mr Davey said he and his son were travelling from Napier Station towards Holland Village at that time.
He also shared that his four-year-old son, Hudson, loves Singapore buses, especially the double-decker buses for bus service 7.
Source: Andrew Davey on LinkedIn
The boy’s favourite spot is the front seat upstairs, where he can enjoy the scenery as the bus moves along.
However, getting a young child upstairs while tapping his card and carrying a bag proved challenging for Mr Davey.
With his son halfway upstairs, he noticed that Zul, the bus captain, had voluntarily waited without prompting.
Bus captain waits patiently for father and son to be seated
On top of that, Zul waited until the father and son were safely seated upstairs before driving off.
Mr Davey estimated that the decision may have cost the bus captain about a minute of his schedule. But for him, that minute demonstrated something more than simply doing a job.
“He just read the situation,” Mr Davey said, describing Zul’s actions as an example of empathy towards passengers and concern for a young child navigating the stairs.
Source: Land Transport Guru for illustration purposes only
Upon alighting the bus at Holland Village, Mr Davey thanked the bus captain personally.
He also shared that he had submitted a compliment via SBS Transit’s online feedback form.
He then took to LinkedIn to publicly recognise the bus captain, hoping the appreciation would reach him and SBS Transit.
“Your work does not go unnoticed,” he said, adding that the extra minute Zul gave a stranger’s child, without being asked, stood out to him.
Bumped into the same bus captain on return trip
Speaking to MS News, Andrew Davey, 45, said he knew the bus captain was “a really kind human being” the moment they boarded.
“I’ve been in this same situation before and when we get to the steps, the bus has usually started moving,” the leadership coach said.
“But in this case, I am halfway up the stairs and the bus still hadn’t moved. That’s when I realised,” he continued.
As they were the last in line, he knew there was no one behind them, suggesting the bus captain had waited to ensure they could sit safely.
Source: Land Transport Guru for illustration purposes only
When his son was younger, Mr Davey shared that he would carry him up the stairs, but now that he is older, his independent son insists on climbing the stairs himself.
“It’s not the first time I have noticed things like this in Singapore. I see it everywhere and I see it often,” he shared.
Mr Davey also told MS News that they happened to bump into Zul again for their return trip that day.
“Big smile, recognised us. Just an awesome day!”
SBS Transit is proud of their bus captain
In response to MS News’ queries, SBS Transit said they are proud of their bus captain, Zulkefli Bin Saleh, for demonstrating care and attentiveness, which enabled a safe and pleasant journey for the father and his young son.
“His thoughtfulness is a meaningful reflection of the CARES culture at SBS Transit and our commitment to providing a caring, reliable and safe service for our passengers,” said Mrs Grace Wu, an SBS Transit spokesperson.
Zulkefli said: “When I saw the father boarding with his young child, I know how challenging it can be, as I have three young children of my own, aged between 12 and one. I wanted to make sure they were comfortable and settled before continuing with the journey.”
“As bus captains, our job is not only to bring passengers safely to their destinations. We also try to look out for them along the way. I’m glad to have contributed to making their journey a little more pleasant and safer, and I appreciate Mr Davey’s kind and encouraging words,” he added.
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Featured image adapted from Andrew Davey on LinkedIn & Land Transport Guru for illustration purposes only.
