A 40-year-old chartered bus driver in Singapore said he was dragged and pushed by some passengers after he stopped his bus because workers on board were fighting.
The incident happened on Sunday, 13 September, while driver Cai Zhi Feng was ferrying a group of workers from Woodlands back to their dormitory in Jurong.
Videos posted online by Singapore Bus Charter owner Jitesh Dhillon show workers shouting and shoving one another inside and outside the bus. An image from the bus also shows a man holding Cai by the face.
Fight Broke Out During Return Journey
Cai told Mothership that the trip was an ad-hoc assignment to transport the workers to and from a company gathering.
He picked them up from Jurong Penjuru Dormitory at about 10.30am and took them to Woodlands Link. Cai said the first journey went without incident.
He returned to pick them up at around 4pm.
According to Cai, many of the workers appeared heavily intoxicated by then, and there was no supervisor accompanying them on the bus.
Not long after the return trip began, an argument among the workers escalated into a physical fight, Cai said.
Video footage posted by Dhillon shows several people shouting and pushing one another inside the vehicle.
Driver Stopped Bus and Refused to Continue
Cai said he tried to get the passengers to stop fighting but was unsuccessful.
He eventually pulled over and told the workers to get off, as he believed it was no longer safe for him to continue driving.
Cai alleged that after the bus stopped, some of the workers dragged and pushed him while demanding that he resume the journey.
He nevertheless refused to continue driving and called the police.
Footage subsequently showed workers continuing to quarrel and push one another outside the stationary bus. Cai told Mothership that the situation eventually calmed down after a supervisor from the workers’ company arrived.
Cai said officers later arrived and spoke to those involved. He also said he handed over video evidence of the incident.
Stomp earlier reported that Dhillon said the matter was being handled by police. However, in a later report on 17 September, Mothership said it understood that there were no current investigations ongoing. Neither report cited an on-record police statement confirming the investigation status.
Driver Says He Experienced Pain After Incident
Cai said he did not suffer any obvious injuries, although he experienced some pain and discomfort.
He also told Stomp shortly after the incident that he remained unsettled by what had happened and was having difficulty concentrating on driving.
As of 16 September, Cai, who had been driving buses for 11 years, told Mothership that he had not received compensation.
He said that, to his knowledge, the workers’ employer was carrying out its own internal investigation.
Bus Company Does Not Want to Pursue Matter Further
Dhillon told Mothership that this was the first such fight encountered by Singapore Bus Charter.
He said the videos were posted to highlight situations that drivers of passenger vehicles can face.
Dhillon also said the company did not want compensation and hoped those involved would receive a warning rather than face prosecution. The company would absorb damage caused to the bus, he added.
He also cautioned against turning the incident into an issue involving race or nationality, saying that was not why the footage had been made public.
