Occupational drivers awarded for contribution to road safety
Every time SMRT Buses bus driver Toh Chin Tiong, 58, gets behind the wheel, he practises defensive driving.
This means that he tries to anticipate others’ actions to avoid accidents; in particular motorcyclists’, as he feels they are the most vulnerable road users.
This level of vigilance is how Mr Toh, a chief mentor and standby bus captain with the public transport operator, has stayed accident-free for the past 27 years he has been driving bus routes in Woodlands.
For his clean record and careful driving, he was one of 33 recipients of the Singapore Road Safety Awards at the Road Safety Seminar 2024, held on Oct 11 at the Civil Service Club in Tessensohn Road.
The awards recognise transport companies and vocational drivers that have contributed to road safety in Singapore. They were given out by the Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) and the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS), in collaboration with the Traffic Police, Land Transport Authority, and Workplace Safety and Health Institute.
Mr Toh, together with SBS Transit senior bus captain Ho Ah Seng, 62, received the Safe Driver Excellence Award for being free from traffic violations for more than 25 years. They received their awards from the event’s guest of honour, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
Mr Toh stressed having patience when driving. He said ensuring not to exceed speed limits and giving way to others are very important.
“When on the roads, you are putting your life into the hands of others, so you must pay attention,” he added.
Mr Ho upholds the same values. As a mentor, he teaches his students that safety is most important, and reminds them to remain vigilant at all times.
In his speech, Associate Professor Faishal said: “I am heartened to learn that companies have put their employees’ safety as their top priority and constantly review and implement measures to ensure they are safe on the roads.”
Prof Faishal said that one such measure is the installation of speed limiters in lorries with a maximum laden weight of between 3, 501kg and 12, 000kg. Implemented in January 2024, the limiters cap lorries’ speeds at 60kmh.
SBS Transit and SMRT Buses said safety is a priority for them as major bus operators in Singapore.
SMRT Buses regularly engages its bus captains on safety, through talks held by supervisors. SBS Transit also conducts refresher courses and regular safety briefings.
Both companies also have a monthly reward system to motivate drivers to keep a clean driving record.
Mr Toh said his company’s training centre has a bus simulator which provides real-life scenarios for trainees.
Both companies’ buses have telematic systems, which help monitor blind spots, alert drivers to safety hazards, and generally help them be safer drivers on the road.
They also use the system Golden Eye, a camera that can detect signs of fatigue in drivers by sensing if their eyes have been closed for two seconds or more.
If detected, audio and visual alerts are sent to a screen next to the camera.
“The system is very helpful,” said Mr Ho. “It detects when I’m tired by monitoring my eyelids. If my eyelids droop for too long, it sends an alert and keeps me vigilant while driving.”
Likewise, should the telematic system detect a fault, drivers will be flagged and sent back for training.
When asked how he felt about receiving the award, Mr Toh said he was pleasantly surprised.
He said: “There are so many people in Singapore, yet I received the award. Road safety isn’t just my effort alone, pedestrians and other drivers on the roads play a part too.”
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