Speech by Minister of State Mr Murali Pillai at the Public Transport Safety and Security Awards Day 2024

Brother Melvin Yong, Executive Secretary of NTWU,

Mr Ng Lang, Chief Executive of LTA,

Brother Jason Choa, President of NTWU,

Mr Ricky Loo, Chairman of Transportation and Storage Committee, Workplace Safety and Health Council

Representatives from our public transport operators,

·      Mr Jeffrey Sim and Mr Lim Tien Hock from SBS Transit

·      Mr Lee Ling Wee and Mr Vincent Gay from SMRT

·      Mr Leonard Lee from Go Ahead Singapore

·      Mr Winston Toh from Tower Transit Singapore

Representatives from our point-to-point transport operators,

·      Mr Tommy Tan from ComfortDelgro

·      Ms Wang Huixian from Strides Premier

·      Mr Rashidi Rahim from Gojek

·      Ms Jasmine Tan from Trans-Cab

·      Mr Terence Seah from GrabCar

·      Mr Neo Chee Yong from Prime Taxi

Distinguished guests,

A very good morning to all of you.

1.     I am honoured to join you today to celebrate the outstanding efforts and unwavering commitment of our transport workers, union leaders, industry partners, and operators, to keep our transport system safe and secure for our fellow Singaporeans and residents.

2.     This annual event is not just a ceremony for our winners; it is also an opportunity to recognise and reinvigorate our collective drive for continuous improvement in safety and security, to ensure that we take best care of one another, and of our commuters.

3.             We know that the safety and security of our public transport network will always be a top priority. It is an assurance we owe to the millions of commuters who trust us with their journeys every day. I express my deepest appreciation to all of you for your dedication and tireless vigilance in achieving this shared goal.

4.     I am particularly heartened by the various initiatives and the high safety standards upheld by our transport operators, especially by our operator award recipients - Tower Transit Singapore and SBS Transit for bus operations, SBS Transit Rail and SMRT Trains for rail operations, and GrabCar and Strides Premier for Point-to-Point operations. These operators have put in place excellent safety framework and initiatives, performed well in safety audits. They have also achieved good outcomes in safety.

5.     I would also like to congratulate our public transport workers who have been awarded the Special Commendation Award for their acts of vigilance and timely action in safety or security incidents, as well as those who have been awarded the Star Award for their efforts in creating and promoting a safer and more secure working environment.

Workplace Safety

6.     Our award winners exemplify the mantra that safety begins from within, that beyond systems and processes, our workers must be able to perform their roles confidently and effectively, and to take initiative in upholding the highest standards of safety and service.

7.     To build such a culture, we must first keep our workers safe. Over the past year, we have observed an encouraging trend in workplace injury. The number of workplace injuries for rail and bus operations from January to June this year fell to 37, from 49 over the same period last year. While these trends are moving in the right direction, we must stay humble, remain vigilant and build on these improvements, to reduce workplace injuries further.

8.     Using the rail sector as an example, we all know that our rail systems involve numerous complex machinery. These may become potential hazards that could cause serious or even fatal injuries to our rail workers. Unexpected incidents could happen from time to time, and accidents may occur even without negligence on anybody’s part.

9.     However, we must still have the mindset that every accident is an accident too many. This is why whenever any accident occurs, it is extremely important for us to come together to investigate root causes and implement improvements, so that we can move closer our collective target of “zero accidents”.

10.    As a tripartite community, we have platforms like the Rail Industry Safety and Health Community of Practice to share learning points and best practices derived from past incidents, and make continuous improvement in rail safety together. We have a similar platform for our bus sector, likewise with similar objectives.

11.    Beyond organisational measures, transport workers also play a crucial role in driving improvements to workplace safety. Our awardees today show how the commitment and innovation of transport works are key to improving both safety and outcomes.

12.    For instance, the team of nine led by Woon Khai Jhin and Teo Jia Ni from SBST Rail implemented a motorised track trolley which helped to mitigate human errors, and improve the ergonomics and productivity of our workers when performing rail alignment measures.

13.    I urge all our operators and our transport workers present today to continue striving towards improving workplace safety. We must protect our workers’ well-being and ensure that they can all return home safely to their families, everyday.

Commuter Safety

14.    Let me now turn to commuter safety. Public transport is an essential service, with an average of about seven million trips made per day on our public transport system. A growing system at this scale requires sustained efforts to bolster commuter safety.

15.    Thanks to the constant efforts and commitment of our transport operators and workers, our commuters are able to get to their destinations and also get home quickly, conveniently and safely. This is no easy feat, especially for our transport workers whose jobs are fast paced, demanding and dynamic.

16.    For example, in my first meeting with public transport union leaders after taking on my appointment, a brother from NTWU shared that driving a bus may be as challenging as piloting an aircraft. There is no autopilot available for our bus captains, and they are constantly multitasking. Besides operating their large vehicles through busy streets while staying on schedule, they must, take care of safety of passengers, and help commuters navigate to their destination. In fact, bus captains may sometimes face the serious dilemma of whether to brake hard to avoid a collision when another vehicle suddenly cuts in front of them, while also ensuring that commuters onboard the bus do not fall.  

17.    One shining example of dedication by our bus captains is Mr. Haidi Bin Hussensa from Go-Ahead Singapore, whose alertness prevented a potentially worse accident with a motorcyclist who was involved in a separate accident along the Pan Island Expressway. He then went beyond his duty to administer first aid to the injured motorcyclist. Mr Haidi’s quick thinking and timely response illustrate the role that bus captains play in ensuring safety, not just for their passengers but also for other road users.

18.    Just as bus captains have an important role to play in ensuring safety, it is also the collective responsibility of all road users, as well as the wider community of commuters, operators and Government, to help keep our bus journeys safe.

19.    On the Government’s part, we set out the quality of service that bus packages need to meet, track the trends of bus accident rates and ensure that bus operators make improvements to bus safety as needed.

20.    Commuters too can contribute towards enhancing bus safety. Commuters can indicate their intention to board by flagging the bus early at bus stops, or by pressing the bell early when they are in the bus. They should also keep themselves safe by remaining seated until the bus has come to a stop, and take extra care when boarding and alighting, especially for double decker buses. This gives our bus captains greater assurance when operating the bus, and they can give more attention to the road.

21.    Commuters can support one another too. For example, our bus captains sometimes face difficulties in helping individuals on wheelchairs onto buses, and an extra pair of hands will make sure that both the wheelchair user and the bus captain are safe. While some commuters will assist the bus captain if asked, our hope is to foster a caring commuter culture, where commuters will step forward proactively to render assistance.

22.    We are also working closely as a tripartite community, to ensure that we uphold the highest standards of safety. This is why we recently formed the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce, to comprehensively look at how we can enhance bus safety across all operational aspects and improve the well-being of bus captains. The aim of this exercise is to work collaboratively to identify solutions that will benefit bus captains, commuters and other road users.

23.    An important aspect of the Taskforce’s work is to consult widely and engage key stakeholders like bus captains and commuters, to get their feedback and suggestions to help inform the recommendations.

24.    We will thus be launching an online form from today, inviting public feedback on how we can improve bus safety. The form can be accessed over the next month via the link: https://go.gov.sg/bussafetyfeedback. I encourage everyone present today to share your thoughts, and to also invite your family and friends to share their feedback if they have any.

25.    Together, we can build on our existing efforts and leverage on new opportunities to improve safety outcomes for our commuters.

Keeping Our Public Transport Network Secure

26.   Even as we strive to enhance workplace and commuter safety, we must not overlook the importance of keeping our public transport network secure.

27.   I would like to commend the efforts by individuals such as Mr Murali Krishnan, Mr Jon Eddyson and Mr Jason Soon from Tower Transit Singapore, in detecting and preventing a foreign worker who was using another person’s Work Permit from entering Mandai Bus Depot.

28.    I would also like to commend the team of eight led by Mr Muhsin Bin Mohammad Moasi from SMRT Trains, who took the initiative to ensure that previously non-lockable compartments in rail stations were fitted with locksets, to stop dangerous items from being placed at such compartments.

29.    It is through the dedication of such individuals that we can assure the public that our transport system remains safe and secure.

Working Together to Enhance Safety and Security for our Public Transport

30.    The various examples I have shared shows the important role that tripartite partners play in achieving and sustaining safety and security for our public transport system.

31.     I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all our transport workers, for working tirelessly on the frontlines and making safety and security an integral part of their work.

32.    I also thank our union leaders and Safety Champions for amplifying the voices of our workers to drive continual improvements to the safety and security of our public transport.

33.    To our transport operators, thank you for continuously driving innovative efforts, to improve the safety of our workers.

34.    The Government will continue to collaborate closely with our operators and transport workers, listen to public feedback, and review our rules to further enhance the safety and security of our public transport system.

35.    Together, we will keep Singapore moving, safely and securely. Thank you.