Proportion of Singapore Citizen Bus Captain Applicants Pre- And Post-PBIMP Launch

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question 

Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Transport since the launch of the Public Bus Industry Manpower Plan (PBIMP) in 2016

a.          what has been the average annual proportion of bus captain job applicants who are Singapore citizens; and

b.          whether this proportion is higher than the average in the 10 years preceding the PBIMP's launch.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow: 

1.          The Sectoral Manpower Plan for the public bus industry was launched in 2016 to strengthen the local workforce of the public transport sector. Since its launch, the public bus operators have introduced initiatives such as improved remuneration, sign-on bonuses and more flexible work arrangements. Operators also made efforts to improve working conditions.

2.          The Land Transport Authority did not track the number of bus captain job applicants before mid-2020. From 2021 to 2025, the proportion of applications made by Singapore citizens varied between 25% and 50%. However, it is not meaningful to compare the number of applications made by Singapore citizens against the total number of applicants, as the number of applications made by foreigners is a function of the residual bus captain manpower needs after accounting for successful local recruitment, as well as the foreign worker quotas that each bus operator has.