I passed out from SMRT training school and started working as a bus captain on 20th October last year. Barely a month into the job I was already contemplating quitting after being paid a pro-rated quantum of my annual wage supplement (AWS). Back then I was assigned service no.965, a route which involved ferrying passengers between Woodlands and Sengkang bus interchanges. Each off-peak hour trip must be completed within 119 min, whilst around 130 min is designated for each peak hour trip. Suffice to say, this frenetic pace of affairs day in day out leaves one extremely exhausted.       Only a 10-minute layover was granted: after passengers have alighted at the interchange and the bus gets parked, it's checking in at the time keeper's office followed by a quick toilet break.....then you gotta tap out once more prior to departure, collect bus keys and commence the next trip shortly. As far as meals were concerned we had to gobble down our food in under 35 minutes.       One thing that severely pissed me off was the $6k joining bonus. The amount awarded to moi suffered a 50% haircut ( yes I collected just $3k!!!!!), on top of this I had to be bonded for 2 years. Reason proferred? Owing to a headcount freeze, LTA wouldn't pay out the remaining $3k. Yet when I signed my appointment letter, SMRT had the gall to continue advertising the $6k joining bonus. Badgered HR personnel, they simply shoved me aside. And then the final confirmation arrived: $3k it was, not a cent more. Fyi, I graduated as part of the 31st batch; folks from the 30th batch had 6000 reasons to smile because they were among the last to be fully compensated. Lucky bastards.       Rewinding things even further, I also did a stint at SBS Transit's operations control centre (OCC) in 2013. Cushy and relaxed it ain't despite working in an air-conditioned environment; we were required to monitor all bus arrivals and departures, handle incident reports, as well as deliver clear standing instructions to bus captains on duty. Lunch or dinner was typically fare purchased from the canteen and consumed on the control centre premises. Imagine getting interrupted by a F2 priority situation whilst eating; its pretty much adios makan and hello pick up the damn call asap to assist some bus captain in distress. Enduring high stress levels aside, the pay is pretty pathetic (you get to take home $1800 after CPF deduction). Is it therefore any surprise the OCC experiences historically high turnover rates?

i disagree, they nv jaywalk. it over 50m   JAYWALKING MEANS NOT USING DESIGNATED CROSSING FACILITIES WHEN CROSSING A ROAD AT A POINT WITHIN 50 METRES OF SUCH FACILITIES. THESE DESIGNATED FACILITIES ARE OVERHEAD BRIDGES, UNDERPASS, ZEBRA CROSSING (WITH BEACONS) AND CROSSINGS WITH GREEN MAN-RED MAN LIGHTS https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/aa3a3c39-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad      

SINGAPORE – The maid who was with a four-year-old girl who died in a car accident in January had jaywalked with her, despite being told not to. A coroner’s inquiry into the death of Zara Mei Orlic on June 26 revealed that Zara had dashed across Institution Hill in River Valley on Jan 23 when the accident happened. The little girl had suddenly appeared between two stationary vehicles along the two-lane road when a car driving from the opposite direction hit her.   Traffic Police Station Inspector (SI) Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman was called as a witness. He said the maid, who was holding the hand of Zara’s two-year-old sister, was about three steps behind Zara and yelled for the car to stop when the collision occurred. The maid told investigators that she was also holding the girls’ school bags, and allowed Zara to walk ahead of her, as she was an “independent child”.     When assisting officer Jeanice Lim asked how long it took for Zara to be visible in the in-car camera footage when she was hit, SI Firdaus replied that it was one second.     Zara’s parents were present in the courtroom at the hearing. Her mother choked up several times as SI Firdaus recounted what happened. SI Firdaus said that when the car hit Zara, who was about 1m tall, she fell onto the road and the car ran across her body. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth, was not responsive, and had a faint pulse. She was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was head injury.   Separately, the maid was treated for trauma. SI Firdaus said that according to the car driver, a 40-year-old woman who was arrested after the incident, she was driving home along Institution Hill after picking up her two children from school. She suddenly felt that her car had hit and gone over something. When she checked her rear-view mirror, she realised she had hit a child, said SI Firdaus. She immediately stopped the car and checked on Zara. The driver was not named at the hearing, with SI Firdaus referring to her only as an “involved party”. On whether any action will be taken against the driver or the maid, the court heard that the Attorney-General’s Chambers will decide after the coroner’s findings are released. Zara Mei Orlic was on Jan 23 taken to Singapore General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NICK ORLIC SI Firdaus said footage from the in-car camera showed that both the maid and Zara were looking towards the right side of the road even though the car was approaching from their left. ST understands that the maid, who began working for the Orlic family in October 2023, is still working for them. SI Firdaus said it was not the first time the maid had used this route to jaywalk with the children after picking them up from pre-school. He said Zara’s parents had reminded her not to cross the road in Institution Hill, as that would be jaywalking. He added that despite their warnings, the maid still crossed the road in Institution Hill and this was the usual route she took after picking up the children. What the maid should have done was to walk about 200m from the pre-school in River Valley Road, pass by Institution Hill and head for the pedestrian crossing, he said. SI Firdaus noted that when the collision occurred, the car was not travelling at a fast speed and the driver was not distracted. He added that based on evidence gathered, there was no foul play involved. The coroner will give his findings on July 5. Lawyer Alfred Lim, who is acting for Zara’s family, said her parents will assess their legal options after the coroner’s findings are released.

waiting for their kids to do the same. dont talk the talk, walk the walk    

SINGAPORE - Defining the success of an education system goes beyond looking at rankings, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on June 25. Such success should instead be defined by individuals’ desire for continuous learning, and whether society can tap diverse strengths to build resilience, he added. “Many rankings have ranked our education system very highly, and I’m very proud of our accomplishments,” Mr Chan said, but it is not just things that are measurable that are important.   He added that all metrics should be taken “with a pinch of salt”. Mr Chan was responding to a question from former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan, who is the chairman of the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, on the Republic’s performance in a global test of creative thinking that was reported recently. Singapore’s 15-year-olds had ranked first out of 64 education systems in the test, which was part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2022, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.     Mr Kausikan was moderating the closing session of the Middle East Institute’s annual conference with Mr Chan.   ons and affiliates as well as their agents and authorised service providers. marketing and promotions. The definition of creativity looks different when applied to various contexts, Mr Chan said, and is but one dimension of achievements.  “Creativity is not just about waking up with the lightbulb coming on,” he said. “Creativity is a disciplined pursuit or disciplined inquiry into issues, problems, and trying to find new and innovative solutions that add value.” It requires a deep understanding of the surrounding context – cultures, systems, fears and aspirations – along with the ability to create new value propositions, said Mr Chan.   He added that he is not fixated on how people define creativity – whether it is the creativity associated with art and breakthrough inventions, or creativity measured by the Pisa creative test, involving everyday problem-solving at home or work. Instead, he is “more interested in whether our people have that gumption for disciplined pursuit of ways to overcome challenges”.  Creativity was one of multiple topics covered by Mr Chan and Mr Kausikan during their closing session, which came after three panel discussions on Gulf education systems and changes necessary to address challenges like unemployment. Held both in person at Orchard Hotel and online, the conference had about 170 attendees in its 10th edition. The first conference was held in 2015. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing taking a wefie with university students at the Middle East Institute’s annual conference on June 25.  ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Mr Chan also spoke about changing the public perception of vocational training, in response to a question by Mr Kausikan about how the preference towards academic studies that exists in many systems globally can be overcome.  It is not about the bias, but whether economic value can be derived from a new skill set obtained, said Mr Chan, adding that this is a practical concern that many individuals have.  “People resort to degrees, diplomas, as a signal of their ability and skills,” he said. “But today, many enlightened companies look at their employees not based on their credentials, but based on their skill sets.”  Close partnerships with companies are key to give people confidence that there is an end goal in obtaining a new skill set, he added. Mr Chan also noted a need to change the mindset of Singaporeans regarding vocational training.    He gave the example of how the Institute of Technical Education had intentionally upgraded its campus into a well-furnished one with good facilities, to foster respect for its students and help them feel a sense of self-respect. “There is no one single way to overcome this bias against vocational training,” he said. “But there are very practical things that we can do in terms of shaping the environment and culture of how people who go into vocational training are treated and respected.”  He also talked about maintaining a quality teaching force, using technology for personalised learning, and how Singapore’s education system had developed over the years.  Members of the audience asked Mr Chan questions about social mobility and inequality in Singapore, challenges faced by civil servants without scholarships, and the value of education in navigating diversity and conflict.  In response to a question about the Singapore education system’s impact on the country’s regional standing in South-east Asia and whether more could be done to help other Asean nations develop their education systems, Mr Chan said: “I am not in the school of thought that I think Singapore should go around and teach other people.” He said: “Every society has their own needs and their own context. We don’t just pick and choose certain ideas.”  Singapore’s education system is also not perfect, and even with the rankings it has attained, Mr Chan said he will continue to push for students to be exposed to different perspectives in a global context.  “If every Singaporean student that goes overseas brings back one fresh perspective and new insight from where they have been, we will be much better,” he said.