Longer Waiting Times Expected for Certain Bus Services Due to Manpower Shortages

By
Shawn Ambrose
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Unless it’s in a queue for something we don’t need, we Singaporeans do not like waiting.

Whenever a train on the MRT is delayed by over 45 seconds, for example, at least 20 expletive-filled posts are uploaded to social media soon after.

But the uncertainties and emotional rollercoaster caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made all of us experts in waiting, especially for something that may never come.

This time, it’s buses. 

Longer Waiting Times Expected for Certain Bus Services Due to Manpower Shortages

Take a bus to work or school every morning? Well, you might have to get up a little earlier now.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said commuters should be prepared for longer waiting times for buses due to a shortage of manpower.

As you know, a few hundred bus captains have contracted COVID-19, while many others have been placed on quarantine or asked to isolate.

Consequently, waiting times for the majority of services are expected to go up by five minutes, but for a small number of them, the delay could exceed 10 minutes.

Measures to Reduce Impact

To reduce the impact of this manpower shortage, more double-deck buses will be deployed for services with more expected passengers, including buses that serve schools.

Some bus drivers have worked overtime, while others have even volunteered to work on their days off.

However, these measures alone cannot make up for the loss in manpower, which is why bus operators have started lengthening headways for some services to ensure that bus captains have enough rest.

8 Active Clusters Linked to Bus Interchange Staff

At the moment, there are eight active clusters linked to staff working at bus interchanges.

Yesterday, new cases were linked to five of the bus interchange clusters, namely:

  • Toa Payoh Bus Interchange staff – six new cases, 203 in total
  • Tampines Bus Interchange staff – five new cases, 55 in total
  • Boon Lay Bus Interchange staff – four new cases, 165 in total
  • Bishan Bus Interchange staff – one new case, 38 in total
  • Clementi Bus Interchange staff – two new cases, 53 in total

Many Infected Bus Captains Have Recovered; All Have Mild or No Symptoms 

According to National Transport Workers’ Union executive secretary Melvin Yong, all the bus captains who tested positive had mild or no symptoms.

Thankfully, many have since recovered from the disease.

“While commuters may experience a longer waiting time for your bus, we hope everyone will continue to support our bus captains who are putting in the extra work and effort to minimise disruptions to commuters’ travels,” he said.

Mr Yong added that the authorities are working with bus operators to carve out more spaces for bus captains to rest and have their meals at the bus interchanges.

“During this challenging period, I hope that we can all continue to rally and support each other, especially our frontline heroes,” he said.

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Featured Image: Facebook (Melvin Yong 杨益财 )

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]