[h=2]Singaporean bus driver dismissed after Indian parents complain[/h]
August 15th, 2013 |
Author: Editorial
A 54-year old Singaporean part-time bus driver, Seeni Mohamad Alim, has reportedly been sacked by his bus company after some parents of students from the Global Indian International School (GIIS) complained against him.
GIIS caters to children of Indian expatriates. The expatriates themselves are mainly employed in the finance and IT industries while some are businessmen.
On Thursday afternoon (8 Aug), Mr Seeni was ferrying GIIS students home when some of them started misbehaving. He told them to stop making so much noise but they refused to listen. Fed up, and not being able to focus on driving, Mr Seeni stopped the bus abruptly along Balestier Road.
There were 9 students in the bus at the time. The bus driver was particularly displeased with 5 students aged between 9 and 14 years old for being rowdy.
Mr Seeni wanted to send the 5 misbehaving students back to GIIS to lodge a formal complaint against them and to give the remaining 4 students who behaved themselves $10 to share a cab home. But before he could react, the 9 students all alighted and made their way home on their own.
Some students walked while others took a public bus to Lavender and Farrer Park where most of them live. Some walked more than 2km, according to their parents.
Many Indian expatriates live in Lavender and Farer Park as they are near Serangoon Road where Little India is. The Ceylon Sports Club, Singapore Indian Association and Singapore Khalsa Association where they can play cricket and tennis, are nearby, not to mention many shops and eateries and Tekka Market.
Mr Seeni told reporters, “This bunch of students are extremely naughty, they love to create havoc. I have already told the school about them, and it seems they have been issued a warning but I have seen no improvement in their behaviour!”
With regard to the incident on Thursday afternoon, he said, “I tried to talk to the kids but they kept saying nasty things and jumping around. So I said, ‘That’s it, I’m not driving you any more.’”
After getting them off his bus, the driver personally made phone calls to the parents of the students to tell them what happened and to ensure the young ones reached home safely. Nevertheless, the parents were offended: one parent made a police report while other parents complained to the school.
One parent, Mrs Basu, said that a GIIS staff member told her the bus driver had pulled over because the bus was faulty, which is not the case.
The school bus operator, City Line Tour & Travel, reportedly hire part-time drivers like Mr Seeni to ferry schoolchildren. Mr Seeni has reportedly been terminated in the wake of the incident.
It is not known how much Mr Seeni was paid as a part-time bus driver and if he obtained any CPF contribution.
It is also not known why Mr Seeni is working part-time and not full-time.
GIIS caters to children of Indian expatriates. The expatriates themselves are mainly employed in the finance and IT industries while some are businessmen.
On Thursday afternoon (8 Aug), Mr Seeni was ferrying GIIS students home when some of them started misbehaving. He told them to stop making so much noise but they refused to listen. Fed up, and not being able to focus on driving, Mr Seeni stopped the bus abruptly along Balestier Road.
There were 9 students in the bus at the time. The bus driver was particularly displeased with 5 students aged between 9 and 14 years old for being rowdy.
Mr Seeni wanted to send the 5 misbehaving students back to GIIS to lodge a formal complaint against them and to give the remaining 4 students who behaved themselves $10 to share a cab home. But before he could react, the 9 students all alighted and made their way home on their own.
Some students walked while others took a public bus to Lavender and Farrer Park where most of them live. Some walked more than 2km, according to their parents.
Many Indian expatriates live in Lavender and Farer Park as they are near Serangoon Road where Little India is. The Ceylon Sports Club, Singapore Indian Association and Singapore Khalsa Association where they can play cricket and tennis, are nearby, not to mention many shops and eateries and Tekka Market.
Mr Seeni told reporters, “This bunch of students are extremely naughty, they love to create havoc. I have already told the school about them, and it seems they have been issued a warning but I have seen no improvement in their behaviour!”
With regard to the incident on Thursday afternoon, he said, “I tried to talk to the kids but they kept saying nasty things and jumping around. So I said, ‘That’s it, I’m not driving you any more.’”
After getting them off his bus, the driver personally made phone calls to the parents of the students to tell them what happened and to ensure the young ones reached home safely. Nevertheless, the parents were offended: one parent made a police report while other parents complained to the school.
One parent, Mrs Basu, said that a GIIS staff member told her the bus driver had pulled over because the bus was faulty, which is not the case.
The school bus operator, City Line Tour & Travel, reportedly hire part-time drivers like Mr Seeni to ferry schoolchildren. Mr Seeni has reportedly been terminated in the wake of the incident.
It is not known how much Mr Seeni was paid as a part-time bus driver and if he obtained any CPF contribution.
It is also not known why Mr Seeni is working part-time and not full-time.
From Balestier to Lavender to Tekka Market not very far lah within walking distance but all black black one lah!
