SINGAPORE - A rubbish truck driver was given the maximum fine of $2,500 and banned from driving for 12 months on Tuesday for hurting nine passengers on a public bus in Tampines.

Chinese national Luo Yuming, 40, admitted to the negligent act to endanger the personal safety of others by failing to keep a proper lookout ahead, thus causing the truck to hit the back of a stationary SBS bus along Tampines Avenue 10 on July 28 this year.

A court heard that Luo was driving the garbage truck along Tampines Ave 10 that morning when he rammed into the back of SBS Service 27, which had stopped at the bus stop to allow passengers to board and alight.

According to Luo, he had blacked out momentarily at the time and regained consciousness only upon collision.

As a result of the accident, the bus veered forward, mounted a kerb and stopped on the grass verge. Some of the standing passengers also fell forward because of the impact.

Luo suffered pain at his torso and had cuts on his lips. He was given four days medical leave.

The nine passengers - six women and three men aged 19 to 61 - suffered mainly leg and neck pain. Only one of them, a 48-year-old woman, was warded for two days and given two weeks medical leave.

The back of the bus and the front of the truck were badly dented.

Luo had told police he worked seven days a week, about 15 hours a day and would rest four to five hours a day.

He would usually start driving at about 2am and finish work at about 7pm.

That day, he started driving at about 1am and had collected rubbish from various locations. He could have been jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to $2,500 for the offence.