'Disgusting attitude': Passenger accuses bus driver of scolding elderly repeatedly over wheelchair assistance
PHOTO: Facebook/Bella Bii
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 02, 2023 8:40 AMByMelissa Teo [UPDATE: Feb 3, 5:59pm]
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Grace Wu, SBS Transit's vice president (special grade) of customer experience and communications, said the company conducted an investigation into the incident, which included viewing of the CCTV footage.
The company noted that the passenger-in-wheelchair as well as her two caregivers were not waiting for the bus at the designated wheelchair boarding point.
Hence, the bus captain had to manoeuvre the bus twice with each time requiring him to physically check that the ramp could be safely and securely deployed before the women in the wheelchair could board.
"Regrettably, he remarked loudly to the passenger-in-wheelchair and her caregivers about not informing him earlier about their intention to board as this could have averted the additional time taken to manoeuvre the bus," said Wu.
"This is unacceptable and we apologise for his lapse. We have since reminded him to be more customer-centric."
She also added that the bus captain suffers from a back injury which prevents him from being able to bend down fully to place the ramp gently on the ground.
Hence, there was a slightly loud sound when the ramp was deployed but it was not due to anger or aggression on the bus captain's part.
With regards to the driving performance of the bus captain, SBS's investigation show that there was no instance of unsafe driving and no abrupt or sudden braking applied throughout the said journey.
Manoeuvering around in a wheelchair is already very challenging, so it helps when the people around you are kind and compassionate.
However, that's not what this woman experienced in her recent encounter with a Singapore Bus Service (SBS) Transit bus captain.
A witness, who goes by the name Bella Bii, took to Facebook on Wednesday (Feb 1) accusing the bus captain of getting angry after this woman in the wheelchair and her daughter asked him for help.
At around 9.55am on the same day, the duo wanted to board bus service 147 at Hougang Central Bus Interchange.
Bella Bii recounted that the woman's daughter had asked the bus captain for help but instead, she and her mother got a scolding from the "impatient" driver.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Now I have to help you move the wheelchair ramp for you again," he allegedly said angrily in Chinese.
The bus captain then proceeded to "bang the ramp for the wheelchair real hard", shocking the other passengers on board, said Bella Bii.
He also continued scolding the women, even while he was driving, said the eyewitness.
Driving dangerously
In addition, this bus captain was "driving in anger on [the] road" and "jam-braked repeatedly", said Bella Bii.
She also noted that there were quite a number of elderly folks onboard and expressed her concern for them.
"His anger [could] have cost [our] lives and put other passengers in danger," she said, adding that the driver deserves a warning letter for his "disgusting, ill-mannered, rude attitude".
When the woman in the wheelchair and her daughter later alighted from the bus near Xinmin Primary School, Bella Bii noted that the driver flipped down the wheelchair ramp aggressively, creating a loud sound.
After the two women got off, he also flipped back the wheelchair ramp so hard that the passengers at the bus stop allegedly "stared at him".
"One day, you will grow old too, Please be kind, patient, and considerate. I don't think you will like it if anyone treats your parents or grandparents like this," Bella Bii wrote in the post addressing the bus captain.
AsiaOne has reached out to Bella Bii and SBS Transit for information.
Yelled at for drinking water
Last November, a woman shared that she had boarded an SBS Transit bus from Kovan with her nephew.
Upon seeing her nephew removing his mask to drink water, the bus driver allegedly went over to yell at the seven-year-old.
Another passenger on the bus allegedly remarked: "Good, tell that foreign rubbish off!"
Although Mirax tried to clarify that they were both Singaporeans, her replies were dismissed by the passenger, who allegedly continued to utter: "Foreign, useless rubbish!"
As the passenger continued to rain verbal insults on the bus driver "pretended not to hear anything".
It is not known if she filed a complaint with the transit company.
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