Covid-19: Longer wait times for some SBS Transit buses after 'unprecedented surge' in drivers reporting ill
SBS Transit said that the number of bus drivers affected by Covid-19 has been on the increase, in tandem with the rise in cases within the community.
SINGAPORE — Some bus services operated by SBS Transit had longer waiting times on Tuesday (Feb 15) after an “unprecedented surge” in the number of bus drivers who have reported ill with Covid-19, the public transport operator said.
In a Facebook post, SBS Transit said that there was a shortage of close to 80 bus drivers in the midst of an infection wave by the Omicron coronavirus strain, which resulted in the longer waiting times.
“For this, we do apologise to affected passengers for the inconvenience caused and seek their understanding.”
SBS Transit noted that the number of bus drivers affected by Covid-19 “has been on the increase”, in tandem with the rise in cases within the community.
However, it stressed that 99 per cent of its drivers have been vaccinated and that they display “no or mild symptoms of the virus while they remain in isolation during recovery”.
SBS Transit added that it is monitoring the situation closely and is working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to make adjustments such as “lengthening the headways for some services and deploying more double-deck buses for services with higher loading as the situation evolves”.
In a separate Facebook post, LTA said that it is monitoring the situation closely to minimise disruption.
“We seek your understanding as we work with our public transport operators to ensure the continued provision of essential bus services.”
The authority also said that commuters may see an increase in waiting times for more bus services should the number of Covid-19 cases among the drivers “climb further”.
“Together with our public transport operators, we will keep you updated if further service adjustments need to be made.
“In the meantime, we encourage you to check the MyTransport.SG mobile app for the arrival time of your buses and plan ahead for your journey,” LTA added.
