A Tower Transit bus captain who was filmed and confronted by a passenger over allegedly driving too slowly has lodged a police report, with his union reaffirming that abuse and harassment of public transport workers will not be tolerated.
The incident, which gained widespread attention on social media after a TikTok video went viral, has prompted support from the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU), Tower Transit Singapore and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Union Accompanies Driver To Police Station
In a Facebook post on 17 July, the NTWU revealed that it had accompanied the bus captain, who is one of its union members, to make a police report following the incident.
The union stressed that public transport workers deserve to carry out their duties without being subjected to intimidation or abuse.
“NTWU has zero tolerance for any form of harassment, intimidation or abuse against public transport workers,” the union said.
It did not disclose further details about the police report.
Passenger Confronted Driver During Service
The incident stemmed from a TikTok video uploaded on 6 July, showing a passenger questioning the bus captain over what he believed was the bus’s slow speed.
During the exchange, the passenger accused the driver of travelling at his “own pace” and questioned whether he was following the proper schedule, saying commuters also had appointments and classes to attend.
The bus captain calmly explained that he was following standard operating procedures (SOP) and that the service was already running about five minutes ahead of schedule.
Despite the explanation, the passenger continued challenging the driver’s actions while filming him.
The incident occurred on Tower Transit Service 984.
Driver Praised For Remaining Professional
After the video circulated online, many members of the public criticised the passenger instead, saying confronting a driver while they are operating a bus could distract them and endanger everyone onboard.
On 15 July, Tower Transit Singapore confirmed it had reviewed the journey and found that the bus captain had been operating the service according to the planned timetable.
The operator explained that bus captains are required to maintain proper spacing between buses to provide consistent waiting times for commuters, rather than simply driving as fast as road conditions permit.
It also praised the driver’s professionalism, saying he remained calm and focused on driving safely despite being provoked.
The company described the passenger’s behaviour as a serious safety concern because distracting a bus driver could place passengers, pedestrians and other road users at unnecessary risk.
Authorities Stand Against Harassment Of Public Transport Workers
Following the incident, both Tower Transit and the Land Transport Authority reminded commuters that frontline transport workers deserve to be treated with respect.
The LTA commended the bus captain for handling the confrontation professionally and urged members of the public not to harass, intimidate or distract transport staff while they are performing their duties.
Tower Transit also reiterated that under the Conditions of Carriage for public buses, commuters who behave in a disruptive or abusive manner may be required to leave the bus or be referred to the police.
Police have not released further details regarding the report lodged by the bus captain.