SBS Bus Captain Received Stern Warning for Driving While Using Phone

Imagine driving the same route every day for an extended period of time. You know every turn and every road at the back of your hand.

You could probably drive with your eyes closed. Since it is your job, nothing much is going to change.

So you decide to spice things up a little by adding some entertainment, you whisk out your phone and read some news or your ebook.

Think that’s crazy?

Well, crazy things do happen in Singapore.

It Really Happened

SBS driver of bus 81 did just that and was caught on camera.

If you are working at a desk job and want to secretly use your phone for a while, that’s fine. We are all guilty of it. But if you want to use your phone while driving, that is not fine, because lives are at stake.

While Peter was taking the bus with his one-year-old son, he was shocked to see the driver use his phone for a prolonged period of time. Peter was able to take not one but three videos of the driver carrying out the act.

Peter shared that he tried to see what the bus driver was doing, it did not seem like he was attending to an urgent message or texting. The bus driver appeared to be reading an e-book or document with Chinese characters.

Road safety 

While Peter filmed him, the bus driver was completely unaware that he was being filmed. The fact that he was so absorbed in what he was reading is concerning because it begs the question of how attentive he was to the road. To watch the videos, click here.

Peter shared that the driver was still looking at his phone even as he made a turn.

Could this be because buses are the superior vehicles on the road? We must always give way to them, so he has nothing to fear.

Should you need to use your phone while driving, you need to pull over to the shoulder of the road or at least stop your car. This is for the safety of everyone on the road.

Punishment

SBS has responded to the video stating that the driver in question will receive “stern disciplinary action” and that such behaviour is not acceptable.

After this experience, I am sure most bus drivers would think twice of carrying out a similar act as they would be next on Stomp.

Bus drivers 

Bus drivers carry a lot of responsibility. Every day, they transport hundreds of people from one location to another. While this irresponsible act may cause you to be afraid of taking public transport, I must say that this is a rare case.

Most bus uncles and aunties are actually quite attentive. There was once when I was on a bus and wondering why the bus did not move for so long, it turned out that the driver had spotted someone running from afar so he decided to wait for him.

This memory will always remain etched in my mind as a simple act of compassion and kindness.

Also, on May 10, a bus driver displayed integrity by returning a bag of approximately $40,000 in cash to the police.