Julia d’Silva, a 71-year-old retiree, has been sitting on the upper deck of a double-decker Tower Transit bus for the last three years, as she commutes daily from Clementi into the city centre.
However, on Friday, the bus driver told her to take a seat on the lower deck instead, to which she told him that she had been sitting upstairs for years before the driver relented, according to The Straits Times.
She added that she likes to sit on the upper deck and read during the bus ride.
The Company Directive: Ensuring Passenger Safety
In a Facebook post, Ms. d’Silva revealed that the bus driver cited a “company directive” as the reason for instructing her to sit on the lower deck.
This directive aims to encourage senior citizens, pregnant women, and passengers with mobility challenges to choose seats on the lower deck.
The rationale behind this is to minimize the risk of accidents on buses, particularly when passengers need to navigate the bus’s stairs.
While the incident may have been surprising to Ms. d’Silva, it highlights the commendable efforts by public transport operators to prioritize passenger safety.
Tower Transit, the operator of the bus in question, has always promoted the well-being of vulnerable passengers. As the population ages, their efforts have become even more concentrated, with additional reminders to ensure that senior passengers, in particular, take seats on the lower deck.
“Travel Safe” Campaign: A Collective Effort
Tower Transit is not alone in its commitment to passenger safety. SBS Transit, another prominent transport operator, has a “Travel Safe” campaign in place.
This campaign encourages elderly commuters to sit on the lower deck, and it was launched just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to this, the company organizes monthly roadshows at bus interchanges to reinforce the message of safe travel.
The emphasis on safety is not just about making public transport safer; it’s also about fostering good travel habits among passengers.
SBS Transit’s spokeswoman, Grace Wu, underscores that passenger safety is of the utmost importance. This commitment to safety extends to all passengers, particularly those who might require special attention.
Are All Senior Passengers Frail and Weak?
Julia d’Silva added that she was puzzled and amused by what happened on Friday, but accepts that the transport operators are trying to protect senior citizens.
However, she added that not all older folks are frail and weak, as she has been hitting the gym for over a decade, practicing weight training and pilates, which has kept her agile and feeling much younger than her 71 years.
Header image source: Damientan14 via Wikipedia Commons
