School bus operators given extension to hire additional foreign drivers

SINGAPORE – School bus operators have until November 2026 to apply to hire additional foreign workers to tackle the ongoing shortage of local drivers in the industry.

This is around a one-year extension of an existing measure by the Ministry of Education (MOE)

to deal with the driver shortage

. The scheme was originally set to expire at the end of 2025.

Launched in June 2023, the scheme allows bus operators who serve two or more primary schools to apply to hire additional foreign workers. These drivers would be given two-year work permits, MOE said.

The number of foreign workers a company can hire is limited by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). As at May, 42 school bus operators have been allowed to recruit more foreign drivers than under the standard provision.

This was meant to alleviate an acute shortage of drivers, which came to a head in 2023, when several bus companies stopped serving schools abruptly because they could not find drivers to replace those who had quit.

The scheme was initially set to expire at the end of 2025.

MOE informed the Singapore School and Private Hire Bus Owners’ Association (SSPHBOA) – which represents more than 600 private bus operators – about the one-year extension on June 3.

When asked about the scheme, MOE said it had worked with MOM to extend the additional foreign worker quota support for school bus operators for one more year because of the ongoing manpower shortage in the industry.

The ministry did not say how many additional drivers were allowed to be hired by these operators.

Among the 42 operators that have been allowed to hire additional foreign drivers, 19 companies serve only one school but use a sizeable fleet of buses and manpower.

MOE said it would continue to work with MOM to review the sector’s manpower needs, and encouraged operators to strengthen local recruitment efforts.

It suggested “providing improved remuneration packages and working conditions”.

The industry association and operators told The Straits Times that the extension was not a long-term solution, and that the driver shortage was worsening.

Mr Colin Gan, president of SSPHBOA, said the one-year extension provides some certainty in the medium term for operators, but pointed out that it is unlikely that the industry’s manpower shortage would go away by 2026.

Appealing for longer-term changes, he said: “It is important that the Government gives the industry clear direction before 2026 so that companies can plan ahead properly.

“We hope that there will continue to be flexibility in hiring foreign workers for roles that are hard to fill locally.”

Mr Darry Lim, spokesman for the Singapore School Transport Association – which represents mainly self-employed school bus drivers – said the manpower shortage will worsen as ageing drivers leave the trade.

There is an age ceiling of 75 for bus drivers, and some drivers younger than that quit because of health issues, said Mr Lim, who owns Hui Leong Bus.

He estimated that the industry loses as many as 10 per cent of the local drivers annually.

“In a few years’ time, we will not have enough experienced drivers in the business,” he said.

In general, operators that offer school bus services also provide staff transport and chartered services.

This keeps the buses and drivers deployed throughout the workday, which can stretch from 6am to beyond 9pm.

A driver’s earnings tend to be determined by the number of trips he does, with the average salary around $3,500, according to bus companies.

In a bid to hire local drivers, some of the larger operators are dangling large “sign-on bonuses” or poaching from rival companies.

Mr Yeo Kah Hua, who owns Aik Shen Bus, said recruiting local drivers to run school services is particularly difficult because some drivers do not want to deal with complaints from parents or handle rowdy children.

Mr Phillip Peh, general manager of Tong Tar Transport, which serves 10 primary schools, said the bigger pay packages for local drivers are also causing foreign drivers to expect higher wages.

He pointed out that, excluding housing and the monthly levy, foreign workers were already drawing salaries comparable to locals.

That said, he added that foreign drivers were more willing to put in longer hours and do more trips than local drivers.

Recruiting foreign drivers is also not an easy solution. Mr Lionel Lim, owner of Bedok Transport, said operators can wait up to a year for a foreigner to get the required vocational licence.

In the interim, the worker is paid only the basic salary and cannot be deployed to operate bus routes.

Mr Lim said this is costly to operators and also not attractive to the foreign driver, who cannot maximise his earnings during his time in Singapore.

“School bus transport is the least profitable, the most problematic, with the most responsibilities involved. If the industry continues to face manpower issues, the first thing to go is school bus services,” he said.