Police report lodged against passenger for allegedly abusing bus captain who told him to put on his mask

SBS Transit has filed a police report against a passenger after he allegedly abused and threatened a bus captain who told him to put on his mask.

The incident happened on Saturday on bus service 54 at a bus stop on Bishan Street 22.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice-president of corporate communications at SBS Transit, said the bus captain had to repeatedly advise the man to wear his mask as he kept taking it off.

After the fourth time, the bus driver reported the incident to the operations control centre.

The man allegedly approached the bus captain, uttered vulgarities and threatened him.

A witness, who wanted to be know only as Ms Wang, told Shin Min Daily News she had boarded the bus on her way home when she heard the bus captain speaking to one of the passengers.

She said: "He asked the man if he was willing to put on his mask properly.

"The bus captain said he would have to ask him to leave the bus if he did not agree to do so."

REPORTED THE MATTER

As the man did not comply, the bus captain returned to his seat and reported the matter (to the control centre).

The man then walked to the front of the bus and confronted the bus captain.

Miss Wang said the two men argued for about eight minutes.

The man later alighted after the bus captain said he would make a police report.

Miss Wang said: "After he got off the bus, he started scolding and swearing at the bus captain, and also spat at the bus door twice."

Ms Wang said the other passengers did not dare to intervene as they were afraid.

Ms Tan said the company was not taking the incident lightly.

Yesterday, it confirmed a police report was lodged against the passenger for breaching regulations and for verbally abusing the bus captain.

Ms Tan said: "We will be sharing the relevant closed-circuit television footage with the police.

"We ask that passengers treat our staff with civility.

"Bus captains are front-line staff who come into contact with many strangers every day and they, like many other front-line personnel, deserve better treatment."

It is mandatory to wear a mask when travelling on public transport.