Transport Minister Weighed In On Recent Bus Captain Abuses; Said There is No Need to Abuse Them

It’s tough being a bus captain nowadays.

Not only do you have to be afraid of Covid-19 transmission,

They also run the risk of being abused by commuters for trying to do their jobs.

Newly-minted Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung has heard about the incidents as well and decide to pitch in with some well-intentioned advice.

Transport Minister Weighed In On Recent Bus Captain Abuses; Said There is No Need to Abuse Them

Mr Ong pointed out that bus captains are essential workers who provide a much-needed service in Singapore.

They wake up at 4am and send the “youngest to oldest in the household” to where they need to go, be it the school, market or to work.

Pointing out that bus drivers are humans too, he asks Singaporeans to be kind and gracious despite the stresses of living with Covid-19.

“Graciousness is the cornerstone of a caring society. Let’s be there for our bus uncles and aunties.”

You can read his full Facebook post below:

At Least 4 Cases Of Bus Captain Abuse In Aug 2020

There are still seven days to the end of August 2020 but already, at least 4 bus captain abuse cases have been reported in the media.

The first is the high-profile spitting case at a Bishan bus stop. A commuter had refused to wear his mask properly, even after multiple reminders.

He only left the bus after the bus captain threatened to call the police. The passenger had allegedly spat at the driver and threatened his job.

In the second case, an SBS bus captain refused entry to a man wearing a neck gaiter. The man started a live-stream to call the driver out on his ‘racism’ and refused to leave the bus.

Throughout, he also emphasised, multiple times, that the driver could only speak Chinese.

The situation was eventually resolved after the police arrived on the scene and they, too, were reportedly confused if the mask is allowed.

A third case happened on 20 Aug 2020 where a bus captain reminded a passenger multiple times to put on his mask properly.

The man left the bus but went back on again and grabbed onto the driver’s shirt. He grabbed it so hard buttons reportedly popped off the uniform.

Yesterday, a video of a man abusing a bus driver surfaced online. It wasn’t confirmed where the incident took place.

In the 28-second clip, the man could be seen gesticulating angrily at the driver and spewing vulgarities, before boarding the bus to physically attack him.

As you can see from the four cases, three of them were caused by passengers refusing to wear their masks properly and getting defensive when getting told what to do.

As my handsome fellow writer said:

If you don’t like being told what to do, it’s very simple: just wear your damn mask properly, and everything will be fine and dandy.

But if someone, like a bus driver, lets you know that you’re not wearing your mask in the correct manner, thank them instead of resorting to abuse.

They’re just doing their job, after all.