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May 26, 2010
Bus drivers from China must understand English
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I WRITE with great concern over my recent unpleasant incidents with SMRT's bus drivers.
On one occasion, I inquired if the bus - service 970 - would take me to Jalan Jurong Kechil, to which the bus driver, a Chinese national, simply shot me a blank stare.
When I asked in Mandarin, he finally gave me a nod.
On another occasion, three Malay women asked the bus driver of service 187 whether it would stop outside the Civil Defence Association for National Servicemen clubhouse in Bukit Batok.
Again, no answer or help was offered. Rather, the bus driver stared at them blankly before asking them in Mandarin if they could speak Mandarin.
It is the basic role of bus drivers to not only drive along the correct routes but also be able to communicate with passengers.
And is English not our working language? Are the information boards at bus stops not printed in English?
It may be cheaper to hire foreign labour; doing so may increase profits and make up for the decreasing number of Singaporeans who are willing to take on these jobs. However, it should in no way alienate the local community, many of whom do not understand Mandarin.
It would be helpful to have transport staff who can speak Mandarin to service the growing Chinese national community here, but they must still have a basic understanding of English.
Our transport providers must look into this.
Ginny Chia (Ms)
Bus drivers from China must understand English
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I WRITE with great concern over my recent unpleasant incidents with SMRT's bus drivers.
On one occasion, I inquired if the bus - service 970 - would take me to Jalan Jurong Kechil, to which the bus driver, a Chinese national, simply shot me a blank stare.
When I asked in Mandarin, he finally gave me a nod.
On another occasion, three Malay women asked the bus driver of service 187 whether it would stop outside the Civil Defence Association for National Servicemen clubhouse in Bukit Batok.
Again, no answer or help was offered. Rather, the bus driver stared at them blankly before asking them in Mandarin if they could speak Mandarin.
It is the basic role of bus drivers to not only drive along the correct routes but also be able to communicate with passengers.
And is English not our working language? Are the information boards at bus stops not printed in English?
It may be cheaper to hire foreign labour; doing so may increase profits and make up for the decreasing number of Singaporeans who are willing to take on these jobs. However, it should in no way alienate the local community, many of whom do not understand Mandarin.
It would be helpful to have transport staff who can speak Mandarin to service the growing Chinese national community here, but they must still have a basic understanding of English.
Our transport providers must look into this.
Ginny Chia (Ms)
