Opening Remarks by Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State, Minister of Transport and Ministry of Law, at the Bus Safety Roadshow 2025

1.     A very good morning to you. Special thanks to our less-abled commuters for taking the trouble to attend this safety event.

2.     Public buses play an integral role in moving Singaporeans. As I mentioned in Parliament previously, nearly 4 million journeys are made on buses; buses connect residents to our MRT network, and to where they shop, work or study directly. They are a big part of our daily experience as Singaporeans – sitting on top of the double-deck buses to enjoy the view, going to their favourite hangout after school, or travelling with our loved ones.

3.     With up to 6,000 buses plying our roads at any one time, running such a large system safely requires sustained effort by the operators, LTA and most critically by our bus captains. I had announced in March this year our recommendations to improve bus safety; they focused on three aspects – firstly to equip our bus captains with the right tools, secondly to improve our practices to reduce the probability of mishaps occurring, and thirdly to improve the external road environment.

4.     We are implementing the recommendations progressively. We have limited the maximum run-time for newly-introduced bus services to two hours or less. This is welcomed by our bus captains as it directly addresses their concerns. This would reduce the periods of continuous driving. Existing bus routes that have a runtime of over two hours are being reviewed and adjusted where practicable.

5.     Operators are playing their part in this. Tower Transit implemented a mid-route driver swap strategy for Service 858 in March 2025. This service is Singapore’s longest at over 70km, running from Woodlands to Changi Airport and back. Drivers can now take a break at the midway point at Changi Airport. We will consider this and other approaches as we review other long routes.

6.     We are also strengthening our enforcement against traffic violations that can impact our buses. LTA is trialling an AI-powered system that uses CCTV cameras onboard buses to automatically detect and identify vehicles that encroach into bus lanes during bus lane operation hours. We want to deter such acts, as bus lane intrusions can be a safety risk. Such incidents could force our bus captains to have to brake suddenly, which can cause passengers to fall.

7.     We are also progressively equipping our public bus fleet with technologies such as a 360-degree collision warning, anti-fatigue, and camera mirror systems, starting with the procurement of 660 new electric buses in March 2025. These features will help to improve the situational awareness of our bus captains, and better alert them to potential safety risks, which can potentially help avert serious accidents. For this, I have to thank NTWU (National Transport Workers’ Union) for leaning forward in accepting this proposal. You will be surprised, but in other countries, even to implement this, sees push back from unions. But in Singapore, thanks to tripartism, we are able to do this for the safety of our bus captains, for the safety of commuters and other road users.

8.     The job of a bus captain is not an easy one. On top of driving a large vehicle through busy streets while staying on schedule, bus captains must take care of the safety of passengers, and help commuters navigate to their destination. They also help vulnerable passengers, like those on a wheelchair, board the bus using the ramp at the rear door. So let’s show appreciation to our bus captains where possible, as they are doing their very best to get us to our destinations as quickly as possible, but more importantly, as safely as possible.

9.     Personally, I am also heartened to see other associations present at the roadshow today, including the Automobile Association of Singapore, the Singapore Cycling Federation, and the Handicaps Welfare Association, among others. Our bus captains also need the support of commuters and other road users to be more safety conscious, and to understand the challenges they face on the road. That is what the theme of this year's roadshow is about - Bus Safety for Everyone. I am pleased that the Bus Safety Roadshow will become an annual event moving forward, to regularly spread the message that everybody has a part to play in achieving this goal and adopting the framework that Prime Minister introduced at the National Day Rally – we should look at this as “we”, not “I”.

10.    Through the combined efforts of the Government, public bus operators, bus captains, other road users, and passengers, we can ensure that our public bus system remains a convenient, comfortable, and most importantly, safe mode of travel. I hope you enjoy exploring the exhibition booths and various presentations at our roadshow. Thank you.