SINGAPORE – New bus drivers in Singapore will now undergo a standardised centralised training programme, following the opening of the new Singapore Bus Academy on Monday (Oct 17).
In a statement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the Enhanced Vocational License Training Programme will complement existing training efforts of individual operators, and will be a requirement for new bus captains to attain their Omnibus Drivers’ Vocational Licenses.
As part of the programme, bus captains will cover six modules: overview of Public Transport Industry, Omnibus Drivers’ Vocational Licence and regulations, sectoral tripartism, overview of bus ticketing system and common fleet management systems, service literacy and safe driving techniques.
The five-day programme, which will receive the first batch of about 30 trainees on Oct 31, will be conducted by both in-house trainers as well as trainers from the National Transport Workers’ Union as well as from transport operators SBS and SMRT.
The academy, which is located at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East, was officially opened by Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo.
In her speech, she said: “We depend on a high quality, professional workforce to translate these investments into better commuter experiences on the ground. This is why developing our human resource must be a key pillar of our overall efforts.”
LTA revealed that the Singapore Bus Academy is also developing programmes for existing bus professionals to undergo continual training and deepen their skills. It will also be a career resource centre dedicated to the public bus industry.
seanyap@sph.com.sg
