SINGAPORE – Tower Transit Singapore (TTS) has become the first of four public bus operators to give drivers on long-haul journeys a designated break by swopping them out mid-route.

TTS is implementing this on loop service 858, the longest bus route in Singapore. At 73.4km, it has a run time of more than three hours – about the time it takes to drive from Singapore to Melaka, as one bus driver pointed out.

This move is in line with the recommendations of a task force formed to scrutinise the safety of public buses here.

It had urged the Land Transport Authority (LTA) not to introduce new routes with a run time of more than two hours, and to look into shortening the run times of 54 existing routes that are over two hours long. Run time is the time taken to complete a bus route.

“Longer journeys can result in lapses in concentration and cause stress to bus drivers,” the March 5 report noted. “This could increase the risk of accidents occurring.”

LTA had said that a possible way to address this is by allowing “mid-route swopping” of bus drivers.

Since March 18, about two weeks after the release of the report, TTS has adjusted the rosters of its 115 bus drivers on service 858 to give them more rest at Changi Airport, the midpoint of their journey.

Previously, the drivers did not have a designated break upon arriving at Terminal 2, but could hop off the bus to use the toilet if they needed to.

With the new arrangement, the drivers get a designated break of four to nine minutes during peak hours and eight to 15 minutes off-peak, TTS told The Straits Times.

The loop service runs from Woodlands Interchange to Changi Airport at a frequency of one to five minutes during peak hours and six to 10 minutes off-peak.

It makes stops at Terminals 3, 1 and 2 at Changi Airport – in that order. Upon reaching Terminal 2, drivers alight from the bus and take a break.

They are relieved by the driver of the bus ahead of them, and will, in turn, relieve the driver who comes next.

Mr Glenn Lim, TTS director of communications and customer experience, said: “The task force highlighted the importance of structured rest periods for BCs (bus captains), especially those operating long-haul routes, to help reduce fatigue and improve road safety.”

With a run time of about three hours, service 858 is “particularly demanding”, he noted.

Mr Lim said the mid-route swop allows drivers to take breaks without affecting service schedules or impacting commuter wait times.

TTS has had to add two bus drivers – one on the morning shift and one in the afternoon – to make this change possible.

This has raised costs for the operator, but Mr Lim said the primary focus was the well-being of the bus drivers and helping them stay focused on the roads.

TTS has also deployed a supervisor at Terminal 2 for two weeks – until early April – to guide bus drivers through the transition.

Mr Lim said the arrangement has been running smoothly, and feedback from drivers has been positive.

He said TTS would continue to work with LTA to see how best to roll out the rest of the task force’s recommendations. These include equipping buses with a collision warning system, extending drivers’ meal breaks from 25 minutes to 30 minutes, and offering monetary and other incentives to drivers with good safety records.

Besides service 858, TTS has nine other routes with a run time of over two hours.

ST has asked the other three operators – SBS Transit, SMRT and Go-Ahead Singapore – for comment. SBS Transit has 30 routes with run times of over two hours, SMRT has eight and Go-Ahead Singapore has six routes.

Mr Roslei Alkamal, 45, has been a bus driver for 11 years, including six years operating service 858.

He said the laser focus required when driving a bus is “really stressful”, especially when traffic is heavy and the bus is full.

Mr Roslei finds that the mid-route swop arrangement is “really good” because it gives drivers a “mental break” from being on high alert while driving.

“When I step out of the bus at Terminal 2... I feel relieved,” he said.

Previously, while drivers could use the toilet at Terminal 2, many preferred to continue the journey back to Woodlands Interchange to avoid impacting the run time.

Mr Roslei also pointed out that a bus full of passengers would be waiting if the driver took a toilet break.

With a “guaranteed break, it’s really helpful”, he said.

His colleague, Mr Muhammad Shairul Nizam Abdol Mutalib, 28, uses the break to drink water and eat the snacks he packs. Describing the short break as “very relaxing”, Mr Shairul said it helps him feel ready for the next leg of the trip.

He added that although the break adds time to the drivers’ shifts, they do not complain because they are also paid overtime.

Both drivers appreciated that TTS initiated this arrangement to ease the drivers’ stress on long routes. “The care is there,” Mr Roslei said.