Cabbies, PHV drivers can take up bus driver jobs by signing up for new training programme from Oct 1
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Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling at the Singapore Bus Academy in Ulu Pandan Bus Depot on Sept 28.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
SINGAPORE – Cabbies and private-hire drivers keen to become bus drivers can now sign up for a programme that can help them transition to a new career in a fast-changing sector being reshaped by technology.
The programme, starting on Oct 1, will be offered part-time or full-time, and last two to six months.
It includes on-the-job training and building related skills such as in the field of electric vehicle diagnostics or bus interchange operations.
Trainees will have the flexibility to juggle their work and personal or caregiving responsibilities while completing the course.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Singapore Bus Academy in Ulu Pandan Bus Depot on Sept 28, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said technology has made transport more accessible and convenient for commuters, but it also impacts jobs.
“That is why we are preparing in advance. We want to make sure that as we transform the industry, we are also helping our workers at the same time,” she said.
SBS Transit bus driver Lee Kit Peng (left) demonstrating the fare reversal for commuters that boarded the wrong bus to Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling on Sept 28.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
When asked if the programme was something that point-to-point drivers had asked for, Sun said workers had concerns about autonomous vehicles (AVs) affecting their jobs.
The career conversion scheme is one of several options available, including one for those transitioning to careers as AV specialists.
The scheme, which was first announced in Parliament in July, is part of a driver support package that aims to help drivers anticipate technological advancements while being able to seize new job opportunities.
On Sept 28, the Ministry of Transport, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency and the National Trades Union Congress in a joint statement said the career conversion programme will last between two and six months.
Drivers who already possess a Class 4 licence to operate heavy vehicles will be allowed to undergo a shorter training period, they added.
Apart from on-the-job training, individuals who take up the scheme will also pick up other skills relevant to their future careers, including electric vehicle diagnostics and managing operations at bus interchanges.
Those interested in making the transition can apply directly to any of the four public bus operators – Go-Ahead Singapore, SBS Transit, SMRT Buses and Tower Transit Singapore.
The statement also said the programme complements ongoing efforts to attract and retain local bus drivers.
It added that Singaporeans or permanent residents who opt to become bus drivers will be eligible for increased starting salaries and higher sign-on bonuses that kick in from Jan 1, 2027.
The Government will fund a $450 monthly salary increase for new Singaporean and PR bus drivers, along with an additional $2,000 in sign-on bonuses.
The salary revisions will increase the average monthly pay for new bus drivers from about $3,600 now to more than $4,000, including overtime pay and allowances.
Existing bus drivers will receive a one-time pay bump.
NTUC assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling said the unions worked closely with their tripartite partners to ensure the new career conversion pathway afforded point-to-point drivers’ flexibility.
Yeo, who is a Punggol GRC MP, said: “This gives interested drivers another option to broaden their skills and career possibilities, while retaining the flexibility that matters to them.”
Discussions are ongoing with bus operators to accommodate flexible work arrangements so that “drivers have the option of balancing bus driving and other work opportunities”, said Yeo, who is also adviser to the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Taxi Association, as well as the executive secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union.
Former private-hire driver Oh Hock Tiong, 38, who now drives a Tower Transit Singapore bus, said he made the career switch in November 2025 because of the long hours and unpredictable income.
From driving between 12 and 14 hours daily in his ride-share job, he now drives a bus for about 10 hours. Unlike ride-share work, the job also comes with employment benefits, including medical benefits and training opportunities.