Local Bus driver pay and the implications

[Ahtong]

Not sure if they suceeded but our local drivers wanted their basic pay raised to $1500. I think this is very reasonable since their salary is very low even after the increment. But then if these people had brains, they might as well drive a taxi. A cabby once told me rather truthfully he can make $3000 a month.

 

So even if SBS increased salary to $1500, it will realistically still have trouble attracting locals. From the video below, a certain MIW loser emphasized "sustainable". Reading between the lines, this means SBS need a foreign legion to fill up their manpower requirements and probably "improve the bottomline" as well. Problem is do these people actually have driving experience and how familiar are they with local road conditions?

 

Do you find it disturbing that a service so critical needs to be privatized so someone can save money but the commercial entity can't even pay enough to attract decent people?

 

This bus driver salary issue brings up a whole lot of other worms about our economy if you look deeper.

 

Edited April 4, 2012 by Ahtong

[Good-Carbuyer]

Not sure if they suceeded but our local drivers wanted their basic pay raised to $1500. I think this is very reasonable since their salary is very low even after the increment. But then if these people had brains, they might as well drive a taxi. A cabby once told me rather truthfully he can make $3000 a month.

 

So even if SBS increased salary to $1500, it will realistically still have trouble attracting locals. From the video below, a certain MIW loser emphasized "sustainable". Reading between the lines, this means SBS need a foreign legion to fill up their manpower requirements and probably "improve the bottomline" as well. Problem is do these people actually have driving experience and how familiar are they with local road conditions?

 

Do you find it disturbing that a service so critical needs to be privatized so someone can save money but the commercial entity can't even pay enough to attract decent people?

 

This bus driver salary issue brings up a whole lot of other worms about our economy if you look deeper.

 

I believe other trades also got same issue. However, bus drivers work for salary. Taxi drivers bet their lives for their earnings. Only professional malingers paid to be multi-millionaires.

[SimonTan]

The can is opened.

Worms are crawling out slowly and surely.

 

[Vhtfhwlego]

the bitterness of poor quality service persist long after the sweetness of good price is forgotten.

 

 

this is the problem when MIW did not set a benchmark minimum salary...

people dont take pride in their work creating "havoc" all over..

 

when minimum standards being met, income tax & other form of taxation will also increase....

Blar blar blar.....

 

In short, roof cause: Inflation + Consumer Price Index..

[Mightymito]

So we pay sinkie 3k then increase fare then sinkie complain fare expensive? then lower fare and increase taxes then sinkie complain tax expensive?

 

TS needs an education ...

[Hub_n_mona]

So we pay sinkie 3k then increase fare then sinkie complain fare expensive? then lower fare and increase taxes then sinkie complain tax expensive?

 

TS needs an education ...

 

how about lower profits? that's what TS is talking about

but being a commercial entity, it has to answer to shareholders..

the problem comes when the first step of consideration is to keep profits up, cost low

should it be like that for 'public transport'?

 

by the way, enough of the "sinkie" s--t already

[Kkttt]

Why does increasing drivers' salary equate to increasing fare prices? Why can't the difference come from the profit made by bus companies and paid to their shareholders?

In the first place, this is a public transport and should be geared towards providing basic essential services at affordable prices SAFELY, instead of being privatized and pay their shareholders.

[Mightymito]

how about lower profits? that's what TS is talking about

but being a commercial entity, it has to answer to shareholders..

the problem comes when the first step of consideration is to keep profits up, cost low

should it be like that for 'public transport'?

 

by the way, enough of the "sinkie" s--t already

 

What sinkie s--t would buy the shares then?

[Joseph22]

TS you know they got driving allowance for per trip or not?? those added in easily their pay become 3 to 5 K liao.

 

my aunty and uncle happen to drive for Tibs

[Donut]

to be super honest. I'm so utterly disappointed that our bus drivers are paid $1200...... sigh,

 

it's so disgusting to know that these drivers are doing a dangerous job, with high stress level and they are compensated with less than $1000 take home pay.

 

It shows something is very wrong with our country's system of rewarding workers accordingly.

[Ahtong]

Just to clarify. A lot of thoughts swirled in my mind after watching the video so maybe I was not congruent enough in my initial post.

 

Some simple things we can discuss:

 

Public transport is a neccessity to most. The cost must be kept "affordable" but they can't pay enough to attract locals. So how? Why must something public be profit driven?

 

Is paying drivers more really unsustainable? No one expects to get rich driving a bus but pay should at least cover cost of living?

 

It seems that cost to businesses can be easily kept low by influx of cheap(er) labour. However, personal costs of living are made higher than it should be?

 

Will we reach a stage where certain jobs are simply unsurvivable for locals?

[Mightymito]

what should the pay be then? 2k? 3k? 10k? 90k?

[Ahtong]

TS you know they got driving allowance for per trip or not?? those added in easily their pay become 3 to 5 K liao.

 

my aunty and uncle happen to drive for Tibs

 

$5000? Sure or not? Do you have the details?

 

How much you make a month? Ever considered bus driving?

[Acanthus]

My ex father-in-law used to drive for TIBS. They get their pay every fortnightly and his pay each time is about $1.4k after CPF.

 

Maybe that's why TIBS have to go under SMRT so that their bus captains can be replaced by $1.2k a month PRCs.

 

 

[Hoppie24]

how about lower profits? that's what TS is talking about

but being a commercial entity, it has to answer to shareholders..

the problem comes when the first step of consideration is to keep profits up, cost low

should it be like that for 'public transport'?

 

by the way, enough of the "sinkie" s--t already

 

In Singapore context, "Public" is already not really Public. Is our "Public" Housing affordable to start with?

 

[KARTer]

how about lower profits? that's what TS is talking about

but being a commercial entity, it has to answer to shareholders..

the problem comes when the first step of consideration is to keep profits up, cost low

should it be like that for 'public transport'?

 

by the way, enough of the "sinkie" s--t already

I agree.

 

Lets look at the "conflicting" interests involving the various parties in public (but run commercially) bus service and see where bus driver's salary sits:-

 

1. Passenger -

He wants a bus service which is reliable, safe, comfortable, punctual, not too pricey, etc. The bus driver has his part to play in many of these items which are fundamental/univeral in the industry.

 

2. Driver -

He wants a job which is stable, not too extreme in stress level, decent pay and working environment. If he's from places like China etc, the pay he gets here should be good to him and his family backhome. Working conditions should be better than backhome also.

 

3. Management -

Hopefully their priority is to meet the needs of the passenger given above, but being a commercial entity, it has to deliver profits thru a combination of keeping costs low and maximising the returns on investments etc. Hiring drivers with lower pays, pricing of tickets, etc come into play.

 

As you have rightly pointed out: a commercial bus service has one component which is in constant conflict with the needs/interests of the passengers/drivers: ticket price and salary respectively as there is the need to generate as much profit as possible. Once this particular need is removed ie making the bus service a non-commercial entity, things will have a better chance to succeed in terms of customer/driver satisfaction.

 

Btw, paying driver decent salaryies (motivation-related) is one thing, monitoring and enforcing safe driving is another. They should go together.

Edited April 5, 2012 by KARTer

[LoverofCar]

The can is opened.

Worms are crawling out slowly and surely.

 

 

The can is opened..

FT are crawling out slowly and surely.

[Mightymito]

Just to clarify. A lot of thoughts swirled in my mind after watching the video so maybe I was not congruent enough in my initial post.

 

Some simple things we can discuss:

 

Public transport is a neccessity to most. The cost must be kept "affordable" but they can't pay enough to attract locals. So how? Why must something public be profit driven?

 

Is paying drivers more really unsustainable? No one expects to get rich driving a bus but pay should at least cover cost of living?

 

It seems that cost to businesses can be easily kept low by influx of cheap(er) labour. However, personal costs of living are made higher than it should be?

 

Will we reach a stage where certain jobs are simply unsurvivable for locals?

 

 

Are you even a sinkie?? when was the last time you saw a sinkie construction labourer?

Now even construction foremen are mostly foreign. And half the engineers too.