A man has posted a TikTok video showing him confronting a bus captain over his driving speed, accusing him of driving too slowly.
The incident prompted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to step in, urging commuters not to harass public transport staff.
Source: @mohamed.mirrah on TikTok
In the clip uploaded on 6 July, the original poster (OP) stood next to the driver’s seat and was heard saying that the bus captain was driving at his “own pace”.
He then asked whether the bus captain was following his own timing and demanded that he follow his “speed” instead.
When the bus captain asked him how he was supposed to do that, he replied, “drive normal(ly)!”
The bus captain said that he had to follow the SOP (standard operating procedure).
He then asked the man to return to his seat.
Source: @mohamed.mirrah on TikTok
But the man refused to let it go, claiming that this was “not SOP” and he boarded the bus at 8am.
The bus captain explained that he was supposed to reach the upcoming bus stop at 8.50am and was already five minutes early.
Source: @mohamed.mirrah on TikTok
But the man rejected this explanation, claiming it was “not the proper way of driving”.
The bus captain then noted that the man was taking a video of him without his permission.
But the man retorted that the bus captain was “doing the wrong thing”.
He also said he had to attend a class, thus he was conscious of the time.
The bus captain then pointed out that the man should have taken the earlier bus instead.
When a netizen commented on the post that the OP should have taken Grab, he replied that he could actually drive.
However, he wished to take the bus that day and claimed that he took the bus on time.
He then blamed the bus captain for allegedly wanting to “delay”.
Source: TikTok
Another user who appeared to be a bus driver himself explained that bus captains had an LTA-prescribed timing to follow, and advised him to leave home earlier if he was in a rush.
But the OP charged that bus captains should follow the “proper driving speed” and not “drive like tortoise”.
Source: TikTok
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (15 July) night, LTA explained that bus captains are required to keep to planned schedules and regulate their speeds accordingly, adding:
This helps prevent bus bunching and ensures more regular and reliable bus arrivals for all commuters on the route.
They also have to consider passenger safety, prevailing traffic conditions and service reliability, among other things.
LTA praised the bus captain in the video for remaining “calm, professional and focused” while explaining the protocol.
LTA noted that public transport workers deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect as they work hard daily to keep Singapore moving.
Thus, it urged commuters not to distract, harass, or intimidate public transport staff while they are working.
It also reminded the public that harassment of public transport workers is an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA). Offenders may face fines and/or imprisonment.
Commuters who cause a nuisance on public buses may be asked to get off or referred to the police.
In a separate Facebook post on the same night, Tower Transit revealed that the incident took place on its Service 984.
After reviewing the trip details, the transport operator confirmed that the bus captain was following the planned schedule.
It explained that buses may sometimes travel below the speed limit even when the road ahead is clear, as they are supposed to maintain even spacing between buses.
This is so that waiting times remain as consistent and predictable as possible for commuters, it added.
Tower Transit also outlined a few worrying actions of the commuter in the video.
Firstly, he “repeatedly confronted and filmed” the bus captain and urged him to go faster while he was driving.
This behaviour is “a serious safety concern”, it said, as bus captains must remain fully focused on the road.
“Any distraction puts passengers, pedestrians and other road users at risk,” the public transport operator added.
Secondly, the video “appears intended to identify and shame” the bus captain, which is concerning, it maintained.
Tower Transit, LTA and the National Transport Workers’ Union stand firmly against harassment and doxxing of public transport workers, it noted, adding:
Our (bus captains) deserve to carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or online abuse.
Like LTA, it commended the bus captain in the video for remaining “calm, professional and focused”.
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Featured image adapted from @mohamed.mirrah on TikTok.