Salary increase may attract young locals but may not retain them: Bus captains

SINGAPORE: The government recently announced that it will fund a S$450 monthly increase in starting salaries for new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains from next year in a bid to attract more locals to the profession.

Alongside a S$2,000 increase in sign-on bonuses, new local bus captains can earn around S$600 a month in their first year, increasing their average monthly salaries to over S$4,000, including overtime, allowances, and bonuses.

However, according to bus captains who have spent years in the industry, while the move may help draw more Singaporeans, retaining them could prove to be the bigger challenge.

Several bus captains told Channel News Asia (CNA) that many new recruits often leave shortly after joining, despite previous salary increases and sign-on bonus hikes introduced to attract more locals into the industry.

Besides driving safely, bus captains also have to deal with customer service, long hours on the road, and split-shift duties, demands that many new drivers may not be prepared for, one bus captain said.

Even with the announced salary adjustments, he added he doesn’t expect the retention rate to improve in the short term.

A bus captain who spoke to CNA said new recruits often leave the industry after six months to a year, adding that endure the line of work for a few months, “many can’t handle it for years.”

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also announced that all in-service bus captains will receive a one-time salary increase, as agreed by bus operators and the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU).

Online, Singaporeans commented that the salary is justified given the risks and responsibilities of being a bus driver.

One commenter on r/singapore said: “Good news and a move in the right direction. These folks are doing an important (critical infrastructure) job. In other countries, bus drivers can easily raise a family on their salary. It shouldn’t be any different here.”

Another added that, with the adjusted average salary, it could already surpass that of some university fresh graduates. “Maybe those grads who cannot find a job can consider this instead,” he said.

A joint graduate employment survey released in March found that the median gross monthly salary for graduates who secured employment within six months stood at S$4,500 last year, close to the adjusted salary for local bus captains, expected to exceed S$4,000. /TISG

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