Retiring bus driver marvels at tech changes over 50 years

In the early days of his career, bus driver Koh Yan Aun would struggle to stop the vehicle when it got crowded, as the momentum of a fully loaded bus made it harder to brake. He would end work with aches all over from wrestling the gear stick in an uncomfortably hard seat.

But 50 years on, Mr Koh has been having a relatively more enjoyable time at work.

"The buses nowadays are very easy to drive," he said. "It's like driving a BMW, it's very comfortable."

Mr Koh is one of four bus drivers who have clocked 50 years of service with SBS Transit, including at its predecessor companies. His journey had started as a 21-year-old who was fascinated with buses.

But on his 71st birthday today, the senior bus captain is finally calling time on his career.

Mr Koh - who is married with three children and has four grandchildren - discovered he had lung cancer last November. After undergoing an operation for the condition, he stopped work for three months. Although he recovered and returned to work, he decided it was time for him to take a break.

Mr Koh, who spoke to The Straits Times in Mandarin at Joo Koon bus interchange, said: "Now, my body is not as strong, so I want to let it rest and slowly recover.

"I think I will miss work though... I will still wake up automatically at 4.30am daily and it will take me a long time to forget the routine."

He added that the Covid-19 pandemic was not a factor in his decision to retire, as he was confident in the precautions in place, and he had also been vaccinated.

Mr Koh said he is privileged to have witnessed the transformation of public transport and Singapore from plying the roads daily.

He has driven buses on more than 40 routes, spanning from Tuas to Changi. Among the bus services he has driven are 99, 179, 182, 241, 247, 248.

"Last time the roads were very narrow and there was only one lane, but we even have bus lanes now," he said.

"Singapore has changed a lot... Suddenly you will see a highway or a skyscraper pop up here and there. Singapore now is beautiful and modern."

For the last few years, Mr Koh had been driving service 247, ferrying people in the industrial areas in Tuas.

He would usually start his day in the morning with a 20-minute walk from his home in Boon Lay to pick up his bus at the Soon Lee bus depot in Jurong West. By about 5.30am, he would be in the bus, and his shifts lasted till about 3pm.

He still marvels at how technology has changed the job.

For example, he used to start his day with a painfully slow hunt for the bus he had been assigned to.

"I had to hold a torchlight and go from bus to bus at the depot to look for the specific number plate I had been assigned to," he said.

"Now, I can just use a phone app to immediately find the bus."

The presence of a built-in GPS system on the buses now has also simplified a bus driver's job.

In his early days, whenever he was assigned to a new route, he had to take a bus as a passenger and memorise the route. Now, drivers can rely on just the GPS.

Mr Koh said he will miss the passengers on service 247, who include a few who have been gifting him fruits and cakes.

His fondest memories include the times when his wife, children and two grandchildren took his bus to watch him at work.

"My grandchildren still remember taking my bus, they tell me about it often when we meet," said Mr Koh as he laughed.

One thing he is looking forward to in retirement is to spend more time with his wife, who is 67. She has been retired for years, having worked in the semiconductor industry.

"I would only see her for a few hours at dinner time because of work, but now I want to make up for lost time," said Mr Koh.

Smiling at the thought, he added: "When I am retired, I can go with her to the market, and we can eat and buy things together."