Over 3,000 jobs in public transport sector to be added over next few years: Chee Hong Tat

SINGAPORE – More than 3,000 jobs will be added to the public transport sector over the next few years as Singapore’s rail network expands and bus services are enhanced.

About 2,000 new job openings are in the rail sector, and more than 1,000 in the bus sector, said Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat on May 20 during a visit to the new Punggol Coast Bus Interchange, which will open on June 29.

Technicians and engineers, as well as those specialising in data analytics and cyber security, are required in the rail sector, said Mr Chee.

This comes as the Jurong Region Line is slated to open in three stages from 2027 to 2029, while the first 12 stations on the Cross Island Line are expected to be completed by 2030.

The bus sector will need bus drivers, technicians and engineers, all of whom have to be equipped with skills to support the shift to electric buses, as the Government targets to refresh Singapore’s public bus fleet so that half of it will run on batteries by 2030.

Mr Chee also noted that public transport operators will need to hire more people due to the expansion of bus services under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, a

$900 million initiative launched in July 2024 to improve public bus connectivity

for residents of new housing projects.

Asked how the Government hopes to attract workers to the public transport sector, Mr Chee said it will work closely with its partners – including the National Transport Workers’ Union – to reach out to fresh graduates and mid-career entrants.

There will be sign-on bonuses and various incentives, such as a referral programme for existing public transport workers to recommend their friends to join the sector.

“It’s a very meaningful area of work, and we hope that with this expansion in our rail network and bus services, more Singaporeans will be able to join us as public transport workers,” Mr Chee said.

On training workers to handle electric buses, he said the Government has been partnering tertiary institutions to equip students with the necessary skills.

For mid-career entrants or people who may have missed such courses, he noted that there are programmes available under the Continuing Education and Training scheme.

Mr Chee said this is an ongoing process and that many students are interested in working with new technologies – including the use of data analytics to improve decision-making and maintenance processes.

Go-Ahead Singapore, which will run the new Punggol Coast interchange, hopes the transition to electric buses will entice more young people to join the industry, said its managing director Leonard Lee.

“We are looking at this as an opportunity,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the May 20 visit, pointing to the bus operator’s continuing efforts to upskill its technicians and bus drivers.

Mr Chee on May 20 also fielded questions from the media on other topics, including the adoption rate of electric vehicles (EVs) in Singapore.

He said the stronger take-up of EVs here is a “good trend” and expressed hope that prices of EVs will continue dropping over time as the technology improves, and that the battery performance of EVs will continue improving.

EVs accounted for 40.2 per cent of

total car registrations in the first three months of 2025

, hitting a new high.

Mr Chee added that the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority will continue to support the installation of EV charging points in public carparks and condominiums.

When asked if he expects to stay in the Ministry of Transport or move to another ministry after the

upcoming Cabinet reshuffle

, Mr Chee said: “You should wait for the prime minister to announce the Cabinet reshuffle.

“Whichever role I take up, whether in transport or in another capacity, I will continue to do my best.”