Tower Transit provides 20 bus drivers with a career boost
Mr Shanmugam Ramasamy (left), 32, now an associate bus driver trainer, and Mr Abdul Rahim Jusof, 62, an interchange supervisor, initially applied to be bus drivers. Photo: Nuria Ling
SINGAPORE — Having driven heavy vehicles and buses for more than 10 years, Mr Shanmugam Ramasamy, 32, thought he would be working as a driver until he retires. Now, thanks to a recent move by new bus operator Tower Transit, he will not be on the roads anymore, but has taken on a new position as an associate bus driver trainer.
Eight months after its first batch of bus captains joined them, London-based Tower Transit has given 20 of them non-driving positions, in a show of commitment to career progression for these workers. Mr Shanmugam is one of them. Others, aged between 24 and 62, became interchange supervisors, customer service and security officers, or associate bus driver trainers like Mr Shanmugam.
These workers had signed up to be bus drivers, but were hand-picked during training by their trainers and managers to go for new internal job openings. Their pay is now 15 per cent or more of the basic monthly pay of S$1,950 that bus drivers receive.
Tower Transit runs 26 bus services that operate from three bus interchanges: Bukit Batok, Clementi and Jurong East. Bus operations started in May.
In his new role, Mr Shanmugam trains new bus drivers during office hours on weekdays. The free weekends means more time for the father of three to spend with his family.
He said: “What I’m really grateful for ... is that Tower Transit sees your experience. I’m not a graduate, but here I can be a trainer in such a big company ... They give opportunities to people who really want to work hard.”
Like Mr Shanmugam, Mr Abdul Rahim Jusof, 62, did not expect this new development when he applied to be a bus driver at Tower Transit. He is now an interchange supervisor at Jurong East Bus Interchange. He had previously worked for incumbent bus operator SMRT for 26 years in various roles such as bus driver and mentor. Mr Abdul Rahim said he felt great working for a company that would accept him given his advancing age.
Mr Andrew Bujtor, managing director of Tower Transit, said: “If you look at London, at Australia, our most experienced operations supervisors and controllers, the majority of them started their career as driving staff members and progressed through the organisation. We believe in investing heavily in (them) and promoting (them) through the organisation. We find that gives us the best results.”
Mr Melvin Yong, executive secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union who was at Bulim Bus Depot yesterday to meet the 20 employees, said that from the union’s perspective, he is happy that a worker is given the opportunity to take on bigger responsibilities through their hard work.
“This would motivate the rest of the workforce to aspire to be just like those who are able to move upwards,” he added.
