Today, the Labour Movement launched the “Safe-Driving Campaign” which reaches out to private bus drivers who are members of the NTUC U Associate Singapore School Transport Association (SSTA).
Co-organised by the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) and the SSTA under the NTUC U Associate Programme, the campaign aims to raise safety awareness amongst private bus drivers, cultivate the importance of being a responsible road user and in turn boosting service quality of these drivers.
“Not all private bus drivers receive training on emergency handling or WSQ certification, unlike public bus captains. NTWU and our U Associate SSTA hopes to help bridge this gap, up-skill these private bus drivers with defensive driving courses so that we can also further boost the service quality of this industry. This could in turn help improve image of the private bus drivers, increase their earnings and better their employability. Through this campaign, we also hope that safety awareness amongst road users, especially the private bus drivers, can be heightened,” said Mr Fang Chin Poh, General Secretary, NTWU.
Mr Vivek Kumar, Secretary, NTUC Membership Council noted, “Being school transport service providers who are also private bus drivers is not easy – they face challenges of rising costs, safety on a shared road space, and the need for continuous professionalism in their services. SSTA estimates there are over 1000 One-Man-Operators in the industry and they perhaps need the most assistance. Since SSTA is now a U Associate of the Labour Movement and NTWU, we are able to better understand the challenges they face and render them assistance and support through a series of engagements, like today.”
Mr Wong Ann Lin, Chairman, SSTA Executive Council shared: “Lately, there are more and more accidents involving school buses. This event thus showcases SSTA’s determination and efforts to promote road safety, and ultimately improving service quality of the private bus industry. With full support from the Labour Movement, NTWU and the Singapore Traffic Police, let us make this campaign a success so that SSTA members and drivers could regain full respect and confidence from the mass public for being responsible road users and safer drivers!”
SSTA SAFE-DRIVING CAMPAIGN
Embarking on a multi-pronged approach with support from NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited (NTUC Income) and other partners like the Singapore Traffic Police and the Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) and Tenet Sompo, NTWU hopes to help raise service standards of private bus drivers through training, safety awareness as well as other incentives.
Defensive Driving Courses and Other Incentives
SSTA members are encouraged to undergo defensive driving courses which help develop correct attitudes and impart essential knowledge that will extend the participant's skill in dealing with other road users and potentially-hazardous situations. As defensive driving is a valuable skill, e2i will be providing support by organising the training sessions, bringing the trainer and drivers together, as well as co-fund private bus drivers who wish to attend this training.
Collaboration with insurance companies like NTUC Income and Tenet Sompo are also made to further entice members to take up these defensive driving courses. NTUC Income and Tenet Sompo will be giving a $50 rebate for policy renewal when a driver completes the course.
For a start, the aim is to garner 100 such participants by end of this year.
Developing Road Safety Champions and Building Safety Awareness
To help raise awareness amongst the SSTA members, the SRSC has conducted prior training for 24 SSTA leaders to step up as Road Safety Champions. To become a Road Safety Champion, the driver must have a clean driving record for the past year, has good discipline and holds a supervisory or leadership role in SSTA. They will be trained on road safety knowledge and will receive the latest Road Safety messages and programmes from the Singapore Traffic Police. They will help them to inculcate road safe habits and influence safe road behaviours amid their peers. At the launch event, 150 SSTA members including SSTA’s Road Safety Champions made a pledge to uphold their duty as a safe driver.
“As the number of vehicles continues to grow, there is an increasing need for all road users to play their part in ensuring road safety. As trained Road Safety Champions, we are equipped with the necessary knowledge on road safety so that we could readily advise our peers and fellow road users to adopt correct driving habits to enhance road safety. “SSTA Safe-Driving Campaign” serves as a timely reminder to me and my peers to observe road safely rules when we hit the roads,” said Mr Richard Fong, Road Safety Champion and school transport service provider.
WHAT’S NEXT
Through the Safe-Driving Campaign, the NTWU and the U Associate SSTA hope to see more private bus drivers coming out to endorse the importance of safe-driving and grow the pool of Road Safety ambassadors who can make a positive impact on the industry.
These model drivers will be identified and they will be recognised and celebrated at an Awards Ceremony next year. Key criteria could include driver’s service quality and having a clean record of traffic offences or insurance claims, ie. not accumulating more than six demerit points or making substantial motor insurance claims.
Going forward, the Labour Movement will continue to work closely with SSTA to render them necessary support and assistance to better serve members with the association.
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