'Let's all live a honest life': Bus driver calls out fare cheats, shows how he can tell

An adult using a child concession EZ-Link card or a foreign domestic worker who taps in with a senior citizen concession card?

These are what some bus drivers face during their shifts, one Singapore bus captain has shared in a video posted to TikTok on Wednesday (Oct 26).

And fare cheating, he said, is something that "happens many times", especially during rush hour when the bus is crowded. 

Wearing a uniform from a public transport operator here, Rezikiyo divulged that such fraudulent acts don't actually go undetected.

"Please be aware, this is actually a serious offence," he said in a warning to potential fare cheats.

"We bus captains can actually see from the NOBE what card you are tapping," he added, with NOBE referring to the fare console which stands for New Onboard Bus Equipment (NOBE).

And it's not just the beeps from the machine, also known as a bus card validator (BCV), that give fare cheats away either.

What many may not be aware of, is that there are icons corresponding to the type of fare which pop up on the driver's screen.

For the record, the BCV gives off two beeps for concession cards, Rezikiyo revealed.

Rezikiyo added in a reply to other commenters that there are also separate categories for those using "staff" passes or "student" cards with the corresponding logos.

And what happens when Rezikiyo comes face to face with a fare cheat on his bus?

He stated in a reply that he would call out a passenger who is using a concession card if they obviously do not qualify.

"So please, please, let's all lead an honest life, pls do not cheat. Pay the correct fare, use the correct card," pleaded Rezikiyo in the video.

@rezekiyo Use the correct card!! #sgbus #bus #singaporebus #buscaptain #viral #volvobus #tiktoksingapore #tiktokmalaysia #fypシ ♬ original sound - Rezikiyo

Speaking to AsiaOne, the 47-year-old shared that he has been a bus driver for the past six years.

The video, which was posted on Wednesday (Oct 26), has attracted a flurry of activity in the comments section, with some reporting other sorts of cheating behaviour, and not just on the MRT.

Some noted that they've observed passengers such as tourists or parents with babies in strollers who enter through the exit door without paying.

"Yes, true," Rezikiyo noted.

Other commenters were curious as to whether a bus captain's salary is affected by the fare collected, to which Rezikiyo replied in the negative.

And no, bonuses are not given out to captains who 'catch' these fare cheats either.

Unfortunately, there are those who slammed Rezikiyo for being 'kaypoh' (busybody) or admitted that the public service announcement wouldn't stop them from such behaviour.

According to the Public Transport Council, it is an offence if one does not pay the correct fare when travelling on public transport.

The penalty for the non-payment of fare, for example, is $50. 

The council added that since the introduction of the penalty fees in 2008, the fare evasion rate on buses has stayed consistently low, and that such regulation has effectively deterred acts of fare evasion. 

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candicecai@asiaone.com

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