Drivers welcome perks in Tower Transit package

SINGAPORE — For veteran bus captain Mr Kalidass Savrimuthoo, one of the biggest perks under Tower Transit’s employment package is no longer having to refuel his bus, clean and park it, at the end of a long day’s work — a task that can add more than hour to his work day

“They’re respecting the bus captain’s profession on the road, because they know that driving on the road is tough work. After driving the whole day, when you drive to the depot, and complete your mission, you just want to (rest) ... they don’t want us to do (all these other tasks),” said Mr Kalidass, who spent 19 years as a bus captain at SBS Transit, and who is among the drivers affected by the handover of 26 bus routes to the new operator. He also welcomed the flexible benefit credits of up to S$700 a year — which can cover things like health screening expenses and gym memberships — which he said was not offered to him when he was at SBS.

Echoing his views was Mrs Lim Lee Ping, 39, who worked for 18 years at SBS. The generous maternity leave benefits of up to 26 weeks were a plus for Mrs Lim, who got married last year and plans to have a baby next year.

Member of Parliament Gan Thiam Poh, who sat on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport before the Sept 11 polls, said the package offered by Tower Transit could help draw more people into the profession. The additional competition could also drive the incumbents to offer better pay, he said, but added that, beyond pay, an employer must also offer job satisfaction.

SIM University senior lecturer Walter Theseira felt, however, that the demanding shift work for captains may still put off jobseekers, despite higher pay. Bus captains are known to clock as many as 60 hours a week. But Tower Transit’s offer may see SBS and SMRT “upping their packages to compete”, he added. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NEO CHAI CHIN