Oral Reply by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng to Parliamentary Question on Training for Bus Captains to Assist Commuters with Special Needs

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport

a.     whether the public transport operators are required to train their bus captains in inclusive service delivery to assist commuters with special needs; 

b.     if so, what is the current proportion of bus captains who have been trained; and 

c.     whether the Ministry studies feedback from such commuters on service rendered to them by bus captains.

Reply by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng:

1.     All public transport operators (PTOs) have training programmes to equip bus captains (BCs) with the skills to communicate with and assist commuters with special needs. PTOs also often share information on commuter inclusiveness to all BCs through their mobile applications, to reiterate the importance of inclusivity.

2.     In addition, since November 2016, all new BCs are trained to identify and assist commuters with special needs as part of the Enhanced Vocational Licence Training Programme. This programme is conducted by the Singapore Bus Academy and all prospective BCs are required to attend it before obtaining their Omnibus Drivers’ Vocational Licence. To date, over 6,300 BCs have graduated from this programme.

3.     Training materials are regularly reviewed based on feedback gathered from commuters with special needs, as well as their caregivers, other members of public and various social service agencies. The Caring SG Commuters Committee, which was set up in 2020, also conducts regular engagements with commuters, including those with special needs, to gather feedback on their public transport experience. The Committee also works with the community to co-create solutions to improve their commuting experience and build a gracious and caring commuter culture. For example, through the Caring Commuter Champion initiative, we are growing a group of volunteers trained to offer assistance to commuters with mobility needs during their daily commute.