A 28-year-old mother in Singapore has spoken out about her distressing experience on SBS Transit Service 145, claiming that a bus driver shut the doors on her stroller as she was boarding.
At the time, her children were seated in the pram.
Image from Athirah
Athirah said the incident occurred on 12 Jan at about 10.30am while the bus was travelling towards Toa Payoh Interchange.
The mother of two was carrying the double stroller up the bus when the doors suddenly closed midway, causing her baby to panic.
Although her child was not injured, she said the experience was frightening and left her extremely upset.
“I was very angry because he didn’t even look back to check on us or raise his hand to show that he was apologetic,” said Athirah.
Her bad experience did not end there.
When the bus reached her stop, the driver parked far from the kerb, making it difficult for her to alight safely with the heavy stroller.
Image from Athirah
She claims that she repeatedly asked for the driver’s name but was ignored.
When she tried to show him how far he had parked from the kerb, the driver allegedly walked away from her.
“That’s when I became very angry,” she said.
Athirah alleged that during their argument, the driver made an inappropriate personal remark about her home life.
He implied that she was angry because she had not received attention from her husband.
Athirah said the comment further escalated the confrontation, leading her to continue shouting at the driver.
According to her, the driver also dared her to lodge a complaint and report him, which prompted her to do so.
Following the incident, Athirah said she contacted SBS Transit, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and her Member of Parliament, and also filed a police report.
She said the report was not meant to get the driver into trouble, but to highlight how serious such situations can be for parents travelling with young children.
In a separate video, Athirah shared that SBS Transit had responded to her feedback on the bus captain.
They said that they have reviewed CCTV footage of the incident and acknowledged that the bus captain “could have certainly done better”.
Source: txrrasaur26 on Tiktok
They acknowledged that the driver should have exercised better judgment by parking closer to the kerb, adding that his choice of words was “unbecoming of a Bus Captain”.
SBS Transit apologised for the distress and inconvenience caused and said they are taking action against the driver to avoid a repeat of the incident, though they did not specify what action was taken.
In the statement, the public transport operator also advised parents or caregivers with strollers to inform bus captains of their intention to board from the rear door.
This is to prevent the doors from closing after the last passenger alights.
SBS Transit further reminded commuters to treat their employees with respect and to avoid using verbally abusive language.
In her reply to SBS Transit, Athirah apologised for her use of profanity but said her reaction was driven by fear for her children’s safety.
She was also “raging” from the driver’s lack of remorse after the door incident.
Source: txrrasaur26 on Tiktok
Athirah added that parents with strollers often feel as though they are not welcome on public transport.
She added that she has received many messages from other parents who shared similar experiences while using public buses with strollers after sharing her story on TikTok.
She stressed that parents with young children should also feel peace of mind as passengers.
Athirah has since mentioned that she would willingly participate in dialogue sessions with SBS Transit and LTA if such an opportunity arises.
“I would gladly be the voice of mothers and fathers with strollers,” she said.
Also read: SBS Transit staff shouts at elderly man boarding bus at JB checkpoint, will be disciplined
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from txrrasaur26 on Tiktok.