SINGAPORE: A Ghanaian man sat down with a Singaporean woman to talk about why Singaporeans complain so much, when so many things in the city-state actually work.

Not that for Kojo Enoch, the content creator behind the YouTube channel Explore with Kojo, complaining in Singapore is necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, he wondered if one of the secrets behind Singapore’s efficiency is its citizens’ refusal to take things lying down.

Kojo has been to Singapore many times and said that from what he’s seen, “Everything looks like it works perfectly here.”

Sabrina, the Singaporean woman he interviewed, acknowledged that things are really good for Singaporeans, with its high level of security and cleanliness, plus one of the most efficient public transport systems in the world. She acknowledged, however, that like all places, the city-state has its advantages and disadvantages, though as a whole, Singaporeans have a lot to be thankful for.

When Kojo asked Sabrina why Singaporeans complain a lot, she said that it has become part of the culture, admitting that even she begins to complain when the train is one minute late, “like it’s the end of the world.”

Kojo, who was struck by this, said, “When you say Singaporeans complain over the littlest thing, I want to believe that this might be a good thing in the sense that it keeps the authorities on their toes. 

But if the authorities or the leaders know that people are not going to complain, then they are going to relax and not do what they are supposed to do to lift up the nation.”

He added that in his home country, people do not hold leaders accountable, “so we take whatever they give us.”

“It basically means you guys will not tolerate anything other than the best,” he added, while Sabrina nodded.

As far as he has observed, most people in developing parts of the world don’t complain, and he added that he wished the people in Ghana would “complain over everything,” not out of ingratitude, but to bring about better standards of efficiency.

Sabrina added that the Singaporean government endeavours through surveys to get feedback from people regarding policies and projects, and Singaporeans are encouraged to give their honest opinions.

“We started from almost nothing. So for us to be able to achieve so much in the last 65 years, it’s an incredible feat,” she added. /TISG

Read also: Help, the taxi uncle peeed during our ride. He’s old, should I launch a complaint or just let it pass?

This article (‘If everything works, why does it still feel like it’s not enough?’ Foreigner puzzled by Singaporeans’ complaint culture) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A young father in Singapore penned an open letter over social media to Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow to appeal for consideration for other parents like himself and his wife, who need help in the matter.

Daniel Chow, 33, posted on Facebook on June 9 that he and his wife have to work on Saturday once a month. Because they have a young child, they have Mr Chow’s mother-in-law care for the toddler while they work, handing them over at the MRT station.

He used to ask an SMRT staff member to open the side gate so that he could pass the child and their stroller to his mother-in-law, and they would oblige him and allow him to do so. Otherwise, he’d need to exit the paid area and then spend another S$2 to tap back in.

On one Saturday morning in March, however, the station manager said no, saying it was for security reasons, adding that he was just doing his job.

Mr Chow, a fitness specialist for the elderly, said that when this happened, there was hardly anyone at the MRT station since it was only around 8:00 am, and that there were four SMRT staff who were merely “sitting and giggling inside the control room, not even doing any serious work.”

Since the incident, the young father no longer uses the gantry to exit in order to hand his child to his mother-in-law, choosing instead to pass the toddler and the stroller over the glass barrier.

He asked Mr Siow if it was really necessary for him to tap in and tap out again just to hand his young child over, given the high living costs in Singapore.

“Is there really such a rule that parents need to tap out to pass our babies to our parents and then waste S$2 tapping back in? If yes, can we please remove it?

Does Singapore really want to promote families and raise TFR? If yes, can SMRT come on board to create that future?” he asked in his post.

FB screengrab/ Daniel Chow

Aside from addressing the acting Transport Minister, he also tagged Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who heads the Marriage & Parenthood Reset workgroup, in a comment. He wrote, “Dear Madam @indraneerajah I found another reason that might be lowering TFR in Singapore. Hope we can remove one more barrier to raising kids and the cost of living in SG.”

SMRT has since responded to media outlets concerning the issue, saying that the staff have been spoken to about circumstances when discretion can be exercised.

The Land Transport Authority has also responded to the matter in a June 12 (Friday) Facebook post. 

“Our public transport workers have been assisting families by applying the rules with kindness most of the time and opening the fare gate to facilitate such transfers. There is also an existing solution that can help – children who qualify for free travel can apply for a child concession card which allows them to tap in and out easily, for free.” /TISG

Read also: Dad who used tote bag straps as a toddler harness gets thumbs up

This article (Singapore dad appeals to transport minister after MRT gate dispute involving toddler) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Singapore is prepared to pay more to attract new local bus captains, but the harder task is convincing them to stay.

From next year, new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains will receive a S$450 monthly starting salary increase, along with a higher sign-on bonus of S$2,000. The changes could lift first-year earnings by around S$600 a month, pushing average monthly pay beyond S$4,000 when overtime, allowances and bonuses are included.

The move comes as the public bus sector grapples with a shrinking share of local drivers. The proportion of Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains fell from 54 per cent in 2021 to 41 per cent in 2025, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA )’s June 5 report. For many existing drivers, however, salary has never been the only issue.

The job starts at 3 am, long before sunrise

Several bus captains said that while better pay would attract newcomers, the realities of the job catch people off guard.

Bus drivers may begin work as early as 3 am to prepare for the first buses leaving depots before dawn. Working hours can be irregular, meal times unpredictable and shifts physically draining.

One common complaint is the split-shift arrangement. Drivers may work the morning rush, take an unpaid break lasting several hours, then return for the evening peak period.

Former public bus captain Muhammad Naz Farihin said these long breaks can make an entire day feel like it’s consumed by work, even though part of it is unpaid downtime. Many newcomer drivers also said they leave within their first year after discovering the demands involved.

Bus drivers don’t just drive a bus

The public usually sees bus captains as people who move passengers from one stop to another. Drivers say the role involves far more.

Besides operating large vehicles safely, bus captains handle customer service issues, manage emergencies and keep services running on tight schedules. Some are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and may be among the first to respond during medical incidents.

One bus captain said he hopes the higher salaries will help raise public appreciation of the profession. He argued that the job requires a set of skills that many commuters may not fully notice.

Bus operators are promising changes in bus driving schedules

Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said bus driving is a specialised role that demands discipline and reliability. Unlike gig work, drivers cannot simply decide not to show up. A missing bus captain can disrupt an entire service.

He also said salaries needed to be competitive enough to attract people who have other job options, including mid-career workers who may already earn higher wages elsewhere.

Bus operators are also promising changes beyond pay. Measures under consideration include reducing split shifts, shortening continuous driving periods and offering better career progression opportunities.

Higher salaries may bring more people through the door. Retaining skilled drivers will likely depend on operators’ ability to make the work more sustainable over the long term.

Buses don’t run on engines alone. They run on people willing to show up before sunrise, navigate traffic safely and carry thousands of commuters to their destinations every day.

This article (SG bus captains: Higher salary offers attract new bus drivers, but long working hours and gruelling split-shifts can’t make them stay on beyond one year) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A Go-Ahead Singapore bus captain was allegedly assaulted by a passenger after the commuter became upset over missing his bus stop while travelling on Bus Service 2 on May 23.

In a Facebook post, the transport operator said the incident happened at around 3:10 p.m.

“At about 3:10 p.m., the commuter grew angry after his bus stop was missed and proceeded to verbally abuse and physically assault our bus captain while he was driving,” Go-Ahead Singapore stated.

The company added that the trip was disrupted following the incident and that the bus captain later sought medical attention at Changi General Hospital.

Go-Ahead Singapore stressed that it does not tolerate any form of abuse or violence against public transport workers, warning that such behaviour puts staff, commuters, and other road users at risk.

“Our bus captains carry out their duties every day with professionalism and care to ensure commuters reach their destinations safely. They deserve respect and should not have to endure abuse in the course of their work,” the company added.

Many netizens also shared their thoughts on the incident online.

Some commenters speculated that there may have been more to the confrontation.

“There is a great chance that the driver say something rude and make the passenger angry. I had many exp with rude bus drivers. Yes, the passenger should not hit the driver but the driver is responsible for calming the situation,” one commenter wrote.

“Not condoning violence but it takes 2 hands to clap,” another said.

Others disagreed, saying there was no excuse for physically assaulting a public transport worker regardless of the circumstances.

One netizen wrote that disagreements should instead be resolved calmly or reported through the proper feedback channels.

Another commenter also praised Go-Ahead Singapore for publicly standing up for its employee.

“It makes them feel supported and not alone, giving them greater confidence to carry out their duties safely and confidently,” the commenter said.

This article (‘They deserve respect’: Go-Ahead Singapore speaks out after bus captain allegedly assaulted) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: In a June 3 Instagram post, an Indian woman in Singapore told of how a woman pushed her in order to grab a seat on the train that had been offered to her by commuters who saw her holding her sleeping baby.

However, a complete reversal of that stranger’s rudeness soon took place. Another woman not only offered her a seat but also fanned her and her sleeping child nonstop for the next 15 minutes in the crowded train.

“One pushed. One helped. And that’s why I’ll never forget Singapore,” wrote the post author (@unplugwithsakshi), who lives in Singapore, adding a heart emoji to the caption of her post.

The new mum explained that while they were on their way back from Universal Studios on a hot day, her baby fell asleep on her shoulder while they were waiting for their ride home on the MRT.

Ms Sakshi said that the train that arrived was full, but when the passengers inside the cabin she entered saw her, several offered her a seat.

However, before she could take it, another woman swooped in and grabbed the seat for herself, apparently pushing her away. According to the post author, the woman appeared to also be an Indian and looked to be around 35 to 40 years old. 

Ms Sakshi added that the woman did not seem to have anything physically wrong with her, but she just chose to ignore the woman’s rudeness.

Fortunately, another woman, described by the post author as being between 40 and 45 years old, very quickly offered her a seat, and as if that kindness were not enough, went on to fan her and her child, as it was warm on the train. 

“I was so emotional at that time,” she said, “no stranger has ever done anything this kind for me.”

When Ms Sakshi thanked her for her kindness, the woman replied, telling her not to worry as she understood the challenges of travelling with a baby, adding that it was her duty to help the young mum out, as she was raising a future generation.

“So you know, you got the message, right? How one small act can represent your country in a foreign land, and how one small act by a stranger can define a complete memory, a complete journey, for you,” she said at the end of her video.

The Independent Singapore reached out to Ms Sakshi, who told us, “I just want to say that Singapore people are a gem. Unknowingly knowingly we met very kind people. In another incident, a stranger handed over an umbrella to us when it was drizzling, and we were standing at the traffic light with our baby.”

She added that she is “really impressed with everything… the rules, regulations, cleanliness… everything is top notch./TISG

Read also: ‘Always choose kindness!’: PAP MP stops at accident site, offers to take home stranded PHV passengers in the rain

This article (Indian mum says she was pushed aside for a seat before stranger stepped in to help) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.