Bus drivers in Singapore - worst in the world?

JaanJ · Post by **JaanJ** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 9:24 am

Strong Eagle wrote:
The answer is still, "it's just you." They are not the worst in the world by any measure.

+ 1

gl456 wrote:
I should have clarified. I meant the "worst bus drivers in the first world".
Oops...I guess i should have stated "worst bus drivers amongst countries that try to pass themselves off as first world" if I want to include Singapore. Sorry for the confusion.

Learn to appreciate a job like that. Else, don't board the bus. Period!

EveL · Post by **EveL** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:42 am

I would like to back up gl456. it's not just you.

I think we have already established that Singapore bus drivers are not the 'worst in the world', but i agree that they do not understand the concept of soft breaking.

Speaking as someone that takes the bus every day, East Coast to CBD, I can tell you that the sudden and immediate breaking is not, the vast majority of the time, due to other cars/pedestrians etc.

In fact, but drivers put their foot down, hard, despite seeing that the next 100 cars in front of them are completely stopped. Not moving. So they speed up right behind these cars, and then slam on the breaks. God forbid you are holding a hand bag in one hand, holding on for dear life with the other and have an itch on your nose. You had better forget about scratching that itch or suffer the consequences.

Of course it's not 'a great job' and of course 'other drivers break the law' and all that stuff. That doesn't mean we don't get to vent.

Post by **nakatago** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:37 am

...But what I find fascinating is that the train drivers do it too when it is raining...mostly in the tunnel sections of the MRT line.

ScoobyDoes · Post by **ScoobyDoes** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:59 am

Some people need to ride the HK minbuses.

If we are talking 1st or 3rd world it doesn't matter, HK qualifies and you have to hang on for grim death in a minibus. This is why a few years ago they were forced to install rather large displays at the front, to show everybody inside what the speed of the bus was.

It's an eye popper when you see the first digit hit lucky number '8' in town.

That said....... they are the quickest way around the territory and i love them

There is no way SG drivers are the worst in the world but like everthing else here, the probably rank somewhere in the mediocre.

merichan · Post by **merichan** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:17 pm

ScoobyDoes wrote:Some people need to ride the HK minbuses.

If we are talking 1st or 3rd world it doesn't matter, HK qualifies and you have to hang on for grim death in a minibus. This is why a few years ago they were forced to install rather large displays at the front, to show everybody inside what the speed of the bus was.

It's an eye popper when you see the first digit hit lucky number '8' in town.

That said....... they are the quickest way around the territory and i love them

There is no way SG drivers are the worst in the world but like everthing else here, the probably rank somewhere in the mediocre.

+1 looooooool

durain · Post by **durain** » Tue, 07 Dec 2010 9:57 pm

HK minibus still not as bad as KL minibus. it was so bad i think they are banned now! because they are freelance, they would pack the bus like sardines and do the route as fast as they can.

ScoobyDoes · Post by **ScoobyDoes** » Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:11 am

durain wrote:HK minibus still not as bad as KL minibus. it was so bad i think they are banned now! because they are freelance, they would pack the bus like sardines and do the route as fast as they can.

I've never seen any there so they must have stopped a long time ago, so that one doesn't count.

carlsum1986 · Post by **carlsum1986** » Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:19 pm

ScoobyDoes wrote:
durain wrote:HK minibus still not as bad as KL minibus. it was so bad i think they are banned now! because they are freelance, they would pack the bus like sardines and do the route as fast as they can.

I've never seen any there so they must have stopped a long time ago, so that one doesn't count.

last saw one in kl like 10 yrs back

durain · Post by **durain** » Wed, 08 Dec 2010 4:56 pm

cant believe there's a wiki on it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lump ... us_Service

ScoobyDoes · Post by **ScoobyDoes** » Wed, 08 Dec 2010 6:14 pm

durain wrote:cant believe there's a wiki on it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lump ... us_Service

Wow neither can I, but it does explain why I never saw any after moving there more than 8-yrs ago.

technocracy · Post by **technocracy** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:37 am

gl456 wrote:So is it just me or are the bus drivers in Singapore the worst in the world?
Not one of them seem to understand the concept of gradually stepping on the gas or brake pedal. They only know how to stomp on it.

If you're standing, you will FLY if you forget to hold onto something solid, even for just 3 seconds.

It's like they just hire anyone that just walks into their hiring office. Oh wait, they do.

I will agree!

I know all people are quoting nightmare journeys etc and living in SE Asia for 6 years I've had few.

However in terms of total mind baffling vehicle control badness the Singapore Bus Drivers at right up at the top.

The majority are new ultra smooth automatic buses with 2 pedals - go and stop . . . simple you would think. However they don't seem to have any understanding of smooth driving techniques.

Approaching a stop instead of smoothly coming to halt they seem to doing the manual ABS technique of tapping on the brake so regularly jolting everyone back and forwards. Then combined with this terrible throttle control they succeed in throwing the entire occupancy of the bus everywhere.

Hell, in the North East of Laos I spent 16 hours on a bus so fully loaded it struggled to reach 40Kmph and passengers regularly throwing up out the windows. Complete with a 2 hour breakdown and the journey being down no end of twisting turning poorly surfaced narrow roads. However my patiences are more tested by some of the so called drivers they have here!!

BigSis · Post by **BigSis** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010 1:24 pm

Hell, in the North East of Laos I spent 16 hours on a bus so fully loaded it struggled to reach 40Kmph and passengers regularly throwing up out the windows. Complete with a 2 hour breakdown and the journey being down no end of twisting turning poorly surfaced narrow roads. However my patiences are more tested by some of the so called drivers they have here!!

LOL so you're saying that 20-30 mins on a bus with the driver occasionally braking sharply or driving like a noob is worse than 16 hours of people chucking up out of the windows................I think I know which bus I'd rather be on and it's not the one with a chunder-like motif down the sides

technocracy · Post by **technocracy** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010 1:50 pm

BigSis wrote:
Hell, in the North East of Laos I spent 16 hours on a bus so fully loaded it struggled to reach 40Kmph and passengers regularly throwing up out the windows. Complete with a 2 hour breakdown and the journey being down no end of twisting turning poorly surfaced narrow roads. However my patiences are more tested by some of the so called drivers they have here!!
LOL so you're saying that 20-30 mins on a bus with the driver occasionally braking sharply or driving like a noob is worse than 16 hours of people chucking up out of the windows................I think I know which bus I'd rather be on and it's not the one with a chunder-like motif down the sides

Now if it was occasional I wouldn't mind but it's more like brake testing every 10 metres! When the buses are full and you standing with a small child and have a loon driving like this it's somewhat more than testing on you patience . .. . even more than someone behind you sticking their head out of the window and throwing up!

I guess it's more comes down to the living up to standards and if SBS or MRT are supposed to be aiming for a certain standard from their bus drivers I'd be amazed if it was this low! On the 16 hour hell ride I had no level of expectations and the fact that the driver was actually decent the fatigue from the journey wasn't as bad as it would of been.

It should be said it's not just a bus driver thing I've been in plenty of taxis driven in the same kind of manner and even after just 10 minutes I've been sitting in the back things 'get me the hell outta this taxi!!!' . . .

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010 2:20 pm

Personally, I'd like you to show me an example of a metro bus service in any major city in the world who drives like you seem to expect. I've been on a lot and Singapore drivers are no better nor no worse than any other big city I've ever been in. Bar none.

technocracy · Post by **technocracy** » Tue, 14 Dec 2010 2:37 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Personally, I'd like you to show me an example of a metro bus service in any major city in the world who drives like you seem to expect. I've been on a lot and Singapore drivers are no better nor no worse than any other big city I've ever been in. Bar none.

Amsterdam or London take your pick!

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Bus drivers in Singapore - worst in the world?

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