Govt to fund S$450 rise in starting pay, S$2,000 sign-on bonus for new local bus captains

New Singaporean bus captains will receive higher starting salaries and sign-on bonuses from January next year to attract more people to the sector. New local bus captains will receive S$450 more in starting monthly salaries, with an additional S$2,000 first-year sign-on bonus. These increases will be fully funded by the government. Combining allowance, bonus and overtime pay, most recruits can expect to earn around S$600 more a month in their first year. This brings the average monthly salary to more than S$4,000. The proportion of local bus captains fell from 54% in 2021 to 41% last year. Claudia Lim reports.