SBS Transit: Nodding bus driver was not asleep
SBS Transit has clarified that a bus driver who seemed to be nodding off at the wheel was in full control of the vehicle.
A video posted on Facebook, which shows the driver nodding his head several times while driving, has sparked concern that he could be endangering the lives of his passengers and other road users.
Some netizens called for him to be issued a warning letter.
As of last night, the video had more than 24,000 views and was shared about 500 times on Facebook.
Facebook user Regina Parveen Abdul said: "Accidents happen in a split second. That one second could end up changing everyone's lives forever."
When The New Paper contacted SBS Transit, its senior vice-president of corporate communications, Ms Tammy Tan, said it has investigated the incident after identifying the bus captain.
While the video suggests that he was dozing off at the wheel, closed-circuit television footage from the bus reveals otherwise, she said in a statement.
"The bus captain kept to his lane, slowed down when approaching bus stops and also stopped safely behind other buses or vehicles... All these would not have been possible had he been dozing off," Ms Tan added.
She revealed that the driver has neck pains that make him "bend more than normal" but it does not affect his driving ability.
"He has been medically certified fit to drive. We assure our commuters that dozing off while driving is not something we take lightly and will not hesitate to take action against any bus captain found doing so."
Facebook user Goh Waye Leon felt the person who shot the video should have alerted the driver if he thought the man was sleeping.
"Instead of filming, for your own safety, be more gracious to wake him up," he added.
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