Passengers travelling on an SMRT bus along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) experienced an unusually unlucky journey after a replacement bus dispatched to assist them also encountered trouble, forcing commuters to transfer a second time.
The incident took place late on the night of June 10 at around 11.45pm and was later shared on TikTok, where a commuter documented the unexpected sequence of events.
In the video, passengers aboard SMRT bus service 972 were seen waiting after the vehicle stopped along the expressway. The commuter filming the incident showed passengers eventually leaving the bus and boarding a relief service arranged by SMRT.
However, the situation did not end there.
RELIEF BUS ALSO SUFFERS MECHANICAL ISSUE
Shortly after boarding the replacement bus, passengers were reportedly instructed to disembark again and transfer to yet another service 972 bus.
The TikTok user described the experience as an unbelievable stroke of bad luck, captioning the video: “What are the odds? What a bus ride…”
According to SMRT Buses Deputy Managing Director Vincent Gay, the original bus had been travelling on the PIE when the Bus Captain detected an unusual sound coming from the vehicle’s undercarriage.
As a precautionary measure, the driver pulled over at the road shoulder and arrangements were made to transfer commuters onto the next available service 972 bus.
When the relief bus arrived, another problem emerged.
The Bus Captain reportedly discovered that one of the rear tyres had been punctured, making it unsuitable to continue the journey.
PASSENGERS TRANSFERRED SAFELY TO THIRD BUS
SMRT subsequently arranged for a third bus to take over the service, allowing affected passengers to continue their journey.
All passengers were transferred safely and the situation was resolved by around midnight.
SMRT stated that because the incident occurred along an expressway, bus captains adhered to established safety procedures and ensured commuters remained onboard in a safe environment while waiting for assistance to arrive.
The public transport operator also thanked passengers for their patience and cooperation during the incident.
While bus breakdowns and tyre punctures can happen occasionally, encountering both issues consecutively on the same journey is a rare occurrence that left many social media users amused.
Several commenters online joked that the passengers had experienced “the unluckiest bus ride in Singapore”, while others praised the bus captains for handling the situation calmly and safely despite the unexpected complications.