Tower Transit Singapore (TTS) honoured its very best at the company’s first staff dinner and Awards Night on Saturday, 10 December 2016, at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club. Among those recognised for good performance were Bus Captains (BCs) who received glowing public commendations on top of excellent driving, attendance and discipline records.

Addressing TTS staff who attended the ‘Shanghai-Bollywood’ themed event with their partners, Group CEO Adam Leishman said, “Tonight is all about you, because when Tower Transit first entered the public bus market and all of Singapore was watching, you gave them something to look forward to by setting the bar higher. Our success is every bit because of your hard work.”

BCs Honoured for glowing public commendations

BC turned Interchange Supervisor Tey Tiong Siong, 36, who joined Tower Transit in May 2016 with two years of bus driving experience, has received praise from passengers for being “very courteous,” “cheerful” and “caring”.

He was named Superstar for the month of June in Tower Transit’s monthly staff recognition scheme. Each month, 10 BCs who receive public commendations are rewarded with cash vouchers.

One BC is chosen from among them to be the month’s Superstar and is rewarded with a $100 cash voucher and a certificate of appreciation.

Passengers wrote in with the following compliments for Tiong Siong:

“When the elderly or the young are rushing to catch the bus, he will patiently wait for them and advise them to take their time and not run. On days when it is raining, he will remind the passengers who are alighting to…beware of slipping due to the wet floor.”

“He also makes it a point to stand up from his driver seat whenever the bus reaches the interchange to bid the passengers as they alight.”

Tiong Siong also displayed the potential for supervisory work and was promoted to Interchange Supervisor in September 2016 after driving with Tower Transit for six months. At the Awards Night on Saturday, he and four other BCs were presented with trophies for outstanding performance.

Also honoured was Zainal Ja Afar, 47, who has been a BC for over 5 years. He was Superstar for the month of November and was commended by a passenger who said, “The Journey back home was a memorable one as the bus captain greeted everyone when we board the bus. It makes me feel happy being greeted after a long and tiring day at work.” The passenger added that Zainal was “very considerate to the passengers…by driving at a consistent speed.”

The big winner of the night was Vijaya Kumaran, 53, who has received close to 60 public compliments since Tower Transit’s service commencement on 29 May 2016. The veteran BC with over 16 years of experience was Superstar for two consecutive months of August and September. He was praised by a passenger for

“how helpful he was in ensuring I managed to reach my final destination especially given that there were numerous diversions today on account of the F1. It feels great to know that he recognized me (and my regular destination), made sure that I was aware of the change and also ensured that I got off at the most convenient bus stop.”

At the Awards Night, Vijaya was rewarded with a pair of return tickets to London and five nights’ accommodation worth $4,500. Also honoured at the event were veteran BCs Tan Kok Peng, 46, October’s Superstar with 12 years’ experience, and Ewe Fong Eng, 59, July’s Superstar with 18 years’ experience, along with other top performers from service controllers to engineers.

“We all have a tendency to be quicker with our criticism than our praise, which makes public commendation very precious to staff at the frontline of public transport. By acknowledging these compliments, we want to reward our staff, but also encourage a culture where passengers frequently recognise and call out exemplary service because they have the power to shape the industry,”
said Andrew Bujtor, MD, Tower Transit Singapore.

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