FOR at least half a dozen trainee bus drivers, a lot is riding on how they do in their second attempt at passing the Class 4 driving test in the coming weeks.

Forty-something 'David Lim' is one of the nervous ones. Jobless for already a year and with school-going children to support, he is depending on his wife to earn $1,200 a month.

He feels the pressure to pass the test. If not, he will not only still be out of a job, but also in debt. This is because he will have to pay back transport operator SMRT more than $1,000 - what it cost to train him - within six months.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.