SG bus captains: Higher salary offers attract new bus drivers, but long working hours and gruelling split-shifts can’t make them stay on beyond one year

SINGAPORE: Singapore is prepared to pay more to attract new local bus captains, but the harder task is convincing them to stay.

From next year, new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains will receive a S$450 monthly starting salary increase, along with a higher sign-on bonus of S$2,000. The changes could lift first-year earnings by around S$600 a month, pushing average monthly pay beyond S$4,000 when overtime, allowances and bonuses are included.

The move comes as the public bus sector grapples with a shrinking share of local drivers. The proportion of Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains fell from 54 per cent in 2021 to 41 per cent in 2025, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA )’s June 5 report. For many existing drivers, however, salary has never been the only issue.

The job starts at 3 am, long before sunrise

Several bus captains said that while better pay would attract newcomers, the realities of the job catch people off guard.

Bus drivers may begin work as early as 3 am to prepare for the first buses leaving depots before dawn. Working hours can be irregular, meal times unpredictable and shifts physically draining.

One common complaint is the split-shift arrangement. Drivers may work the morning rush, take an unpaid break lasting several hours, then return for the evening peak period.

Former public bus captain Muhammad Naz Farihin said these long breaks can make an entire day feel like it’s consumed by work, even though part of it is unpaid downtime. Many newcomer drivers also said they leave within their first year after discovering the demands involved.

Bus drivers don’t just drive a bus

The public usually sees bus captains as people who move passengers from one stop to another. Drivers say the role involves far more.

Besides operating large vehicles safely, bus captains handle customer service issues, manage emergencies and keep services running on tight schedules. Some are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and may be among the first to respond during medical incidents.

One bus captain said he hopes the higher salaries will help raise public appreciation of the profession. He argued that the job requires a set of skills that many commuters may not fully notice.

Bus operators are promising changes in bus driving schedules

Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said bus driving is a specialised role that demands discipline and reliability. Unlike gig work, drivers cannot simply decide not to show up. A missing bus captain can disrupt an entire service.

He also said salaries needed to be competitive enough to attract people who have other job options, including mid-career workers who may already earn higher wages elsewhere.

Bus operators are also promising changes beyond pay. Measures under consideration include reducing split shifts, shortening continuous driving periods and offering better career progression opportunities.

Higher salaries may bring more people through the door. Retaining skilled drivers will likely depend on operators’ ability to make the work more sustainable over the long term.

Buses don’t run on engines alone. They run on people willing to show up before sunrise, navigate traffic safely and carry thousands of commuters to their destinations every day.