PUBLISHED ONJuly 30, 2024 3:28 AMByLim KeweiA standoff between a wheelchair-bound man and a bus driver led to some passengers alighting from the vehicle after the former refused to budge.
In two viral TikTok videos uploaded by user Charliegoldy857 on Saturday (July 27), both parties can be seen arguing in Mandarin at a bus stop along Gambas Avenue at Sembawang.
Bus service 858, operated by Tower Transit, is the only service plying that route. This incident took place on Saturday at around noon.
According to the clips, the man's wheelchair appears to have gotten stuck between the bus boarding bay and the rear door of the bus. The foldable ramp had not been deployed.
A stroller can also be seen at the wheelchair zone, with two children sitting on the foldable seats.
The TikTok user told AsiaOne on Tuesday that the driver seems to have a "history" with the wheelchair-bound man and had allegedly called him a "troublemaker", refusing to open the ramp for him.
The latter then supposedly tried to board the bus without using the ramp.
"Don't waste everyone's time!" exclaims the driver in the first 15-second video as the man demands for the bus number plate.
The second clip, which is one-minute long, shows the man agitatedly telling the driver to call the police as another passenger dressed in black tries in vain to mediate the situation.
When the driver repeats that the man is wasting the passengers' time, the latter retorts: "You're the one wasting time, not me. Call the police. Everyone can get off; the bus is not going to move.
"Have you seen such a bus driver before? Calling me a troublemaker... I am the freest person in Singapore, you call the police!"
The man ends his rant by pointing to the CCTV camera in the bus and saying that the footage will show who is in the wrong.
The TikTok user said that the altercation between that passenger and the bus driver lasted some 15 minutes.
At least six people, including the TikTok user, subsequently alighted from the bus as the man remained blocking the rear door.
Replying to comments under the videos, the user said he ended up paying $14 for a taxi to his workplace as he was late.
In response to AsiaOne’s queries, Tower Transit confirmed the incident occurred on board bus service 858 on Saturday and clarified that the wheelchair user had been alighting from the bus.
Their investigations found that the bus captain had spoken impolitely to the wheelchair user while assisting him in alighting.
“After alighting, the wheelchair user used his legs to prevent the rears doors from closing and the bus from moving off.”
Passengers on board had to alight after Tower Transit alerted the police to the situation.
Tower Transit added that the bus captain’s conduct had “fell short” of their customer service and inclusivity standards, and he will be counselled.
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
