I travel on service 979 every day. Recently, I heard several new announcements during the bus ride: a voice from the bus captain’s area repeatedly announced “pedestrian warning”.

Additionally, another warning that was not clear to me came on every time the bus stopped behind another bus at a bus stop.

A warning would sound every time the bus approached a bus stop when there were passengers ready to board. Even when there was sufficient distance, and all pedestrians were on the sidewalk, the warning still sounded twice at every single bus stop. It was loud enough to be heard on the upper deck. During my morning bus ride of 15 stops, I heard “pedestrian warning” at least 30 times.

In Singapore, there are numerous announcements made on public transport. It is hard enough to get a quiet ride.

On top of this, announcements like “pedestrian warning” at every bus stop are unnecessary and contribute to sound pollution.

While it is necessary to support bus captains with technology, we need to think about whether some aspects are necessary and the impact they have on the passenger’s experience. Bus captains have been trained to drive buses without these electronic warnings and have been doing so for decades.

Let us recognise their skills, reduce sound pollution, and ensure quieter and comfortable rides for all.

Narayanan Anand Chandrasekar