SINGAPORE - They always give commuters a lift - and now it's the turn of commuters to do the same for public transport workers.

A series of initiatives is being introduced to recognise the efforts of the unsung heroes who make daily commutes possible in Singapore.

Among the initiatives is a campaign by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which will use outdoor posters, walkway banners and bus advertisements to encourage people here to thank public transport workers.

Commuters can also show their appreciation online by using the hashtag #ThankYouPTWorkers on social media posts.

The campaign will be launched by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng on Oct 21, with an event at the Tampines MRT station and bus interchange.

The LTA will partner various community organisations and businesses in these efforts, while the four public transport operators - Go-Ahead, SBS Transit, SMRT and Tower Transit - will organise their own initiatives for employees.

This year, the Singapore Kindness Movement has also been conducting activities at schools and student care centres as part of its Friend of Singa and Seed Kindness Fund Junior programmes.

The annual Transport Gold Awards, which recognise transport workers who have shown "exemplary acts of service", will also be held at the Istana for the first time this year on Nov 1, with President Halimah Yacob in attendance.

Awards will be given out to 445 transport workers during the ceremony.

In a Facebook post, National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) executive secretary Melvin Yong noted the NTWU was the first to suggest an appreciation campaign for public transport workers, launching the inaugural Public Transport Workers' Appreciation Day in November last year.

That effort was "very well-received" by transport workers, he said.

"Thus, we are really happy that LTA, working with various partners, is launching a series of initiatives at the national level this year to show appreciation to our workers," said the Tanjong Pagar GRC MP.

LTA chief executive Ngien Hoon Ping said: "Our public transport workers are the heart of a people-centric public transport system.

"They work behind the scenes, round the clock to ensure our public transport system is safe, reliable and comfortable for commuters."