SBS to raise S’porean bus drivers' salaries by 16%
In a bid to attract more Singaporean bus drivers, SBS Transit will increase the starting pay of new Singaporean drivers by 16 per cent from next month onwards.
According to local media reports, new Singaporean bus drivers can now expect a basic salary of S$1,600 compared to the current S$1,375.
With overtime pay and allowances, drivers can earn about S$2,250 a month in gross salary in their first year of service, SBS Transit said.
The existing 1,900 Singaporean bus drivers will also get to take home an additional S$225, reported The Straits Times. Non-Singaporean drivers will get a smaller increase of between $75 and $150.
The raise will benefit over 5,300 bus drivers.
The transport operator’s announcement comes after the government announced in this year’s Budget it would set aside S$1.1 billion to fund a significant expansion of bus capacity.
It was reported last month that the National Transport Workers' Union was also in talks with SMRT to raise salaries for its bus drivers to match that of SBS Transit's.