Knowing multiple bus routes boosts productivity

I do not agree that bus drivers being asked to drive multiple routes (known as "interlining") are prone to accidents ("Safer for bus drivers to be familiar with just one route" by Mr Clement Tan Teng Leng; Thursday).

Accidents involving motor vehicles are almost always caused by speeding and carelessness.

The Government and the labour movement have been encouraging workers to multitask.

Interlining is not even multitasking. It is just getting bus drivers to drive more than one route.

If bus drivers in Britain and Australia can do it, I do not understand why it cannot be done here. Interlining raises productivity, which the Government is trying very hard to improve.

Perhaps bus companies could give incentives for every extra route that bus drivers know; perhaps then, there will be more takers.

Lew Sin Hoe

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 01, 2016, with the headline Knowing multiple bus routes boosts productivity. Subscribe