Do not chase or bang against buses, SBS Transit warns after passenger hits moving bus at Changi Airport

Some passengers on board a public bus at Changi Airport had their commute disrupted when two passengers suddenly started banging against the door and window of the vehicle, demanding to be let on.

Appalled by their unbecoming behaviour, fellow passenger Shuan Kong took to Facebook page Complaint Singapore to call out the duo.

The incident occurred on bus service 27 at the airport's Terminal 1 bus stop at around 4.30pm on Sunday (Jan 28), wrote Kong.

"Old man in black cap hit the bus window very hard multiple times with his palm and tried to pick a fight with the bus captain," he said, adding that multiple passengers on board were alarmed and distressed by the duo's actions.

The 37-year-old software engineer told Shin Min Daily News that the SBS Transit bus was departing from the bus stop when the duo suddenly appeared and motioned for the bus captain to open the doors.

As there was another bus waiting to enter the berth however, the bus captain had refused to open the doors.

"The uncle kept striking the door while hurling insults, insisting for the door to be opened," recounted the passenger.

The driver had no choice but to open the door, said Kong. 

The man then berated the bus captain when boarding the bus and scolded him again when they arrived at Hougang Central Interchange. He then reported the bus captain to one of the ground staff at the interchange.

Feeling sorry for the bus captain, Kong told Shin Min that he also approached the staff to explain what had happened.

Passengers reminded not to chase after bus

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, Grace Wu, spokesperson of SBS Transit, said CCTV footage showed that their bus captain was pulling out of the boarding berth at the Changi Airport Terminal 1 "when he was jolted by loud banging sounds on a side of the bus".

The bus captain then stopped the vehicle and craned his head to the back to see two passengers walking towards the front of the bus. He then re-opened the front door for them to board, and a brief exchange ensued before the bus resumed its journey, said Wu.

She added: "We would like to take this opportunity to remind our commuters not to chase after a bus and/or bang against the side of the bus for their own safety.

"Having said that, our bus captain should have better managed the situation by being polite and we apologise to the commuter concerned for any distress caused. We will be taking the necessary action to help him deliver better customer service moving forward."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com