Drivers, commuters at bus interchange clusters not too concerned about spike in Covid-19 cases

• TODAY interviewed commuters and bus drivers at three bus interchanges
• They said they were not concerned about the spike in cases sinec they are immunised 
• Some commuters said they would not avoid taking the bus because it would be inconvenient to change their transport route

SINGAPORE — Some commuters and drivers at bus interchanges where Covid-19 cases have emerged said that they were not overly concerned about the spike in cases there because the pandemic has become part and parcel of life here.

Most of those interviewed by TODAY were also fully vaccinated and they were not worried about falling seriously ill should they become infected.

As of Monday (Aug 30), eight bus interchanges across Singapore have been identified as active coronavirus clusters by the Ministry of Health (MOH), with a combined 229 cases.

Before Tampines Bus Interchange was added to the list on Monday night, the Land Transport Authority said in response to TODAY’s queries that 120 bus drivers have been infected with Covid-19 across seven bus interchanges.

This is out of a total of 9,500 drivers here, meaning that about 1.2 per cent of bus drivers have come down with the infection so far.

The affected interchanges are located in Bishan, Boon Lay, Clementi, Jurong East, Punggol, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Tampines, 

NO NEED TO DISRUPT DAILY ROUTINE

TODAY interviewed commuters and bus drivers at the bus interchanges located in Bishan, Sengkang and Toa Payoh.

Most of the commuters at these interchanges said that they were not too worried about the number of infections at these locations and would not change their daily routines and travel routes just to avoid visiting the interchanges.

This is because for some commuters, they felt that other modes of transportation such as the MRT or taxis are either not convenient or any safer than taking a bus.

Student Sumiran Bansal, 12, who bypasses Sengkang Bus Interchange to and from school, said that she would not choose to take the MRT during this period because it does not go directly to her school.

She also said that taking the taxi is not much safer than taking the bus because taxi drivers, who are also working on the frontlines and meet many commuters, are seated in close proximity to passengers and Covid-19 cases can appear anywhere now.

Agreeing, Madam Sabariah, a retiree who goes by one name, said that even though there has been a spike of cases at the interchanges, she would not change the type of transport she takes. It is part of her routine to take the bus to pick up and accompany her grandson to school, she added.

“I think it depends on the individual, but for me, (the pandemic) is normal already,” she said.

BUS DRIVERS NOT WORRIED

Bus drivers across the three interchanges also told TODAY that they were not overly concerned about the jump in cases since they are fully vaccinated and personally take the necessary protocols to protect themselves.

And because the coronavirus is still circulating widely in the community, they said it is inevitable that some infections will occur at bus interchanges where there are many commuters coming through each day.

One SBS bus driver at Bishan Bus Interchange, who wanted to be known only as Chan, said that he was not scared about becoming seriously ill because his colleagues who caught the infection two weeks ago experienced little to no symptoms.

“They just wore their face masks in the hospital, took some medication and got discharged shortly after. So (after seeing their experience), we can relax. There’s nothing to worry about,” the 67-year-old said in Mandarin.

Another bus driver, who gave his name as just Chia, 51, said that he is not concerned since the infection is “everywhere” and he has gotten used to living with Covid-19.

As an added precaution, he wears his masks properly and tries to take his meals alone rather than with colleagues.

Bus driver Toh Kian Lye, 59, who works at Compassvale Bus Interchange — just next to Sengkang Bus Interchange — said that he is not too worried about the number of infected bus drivers because he has not heard of any of his colleagues contracting the coronavirus.

He has stopped mingling with the drivers at Sengkang Bus Interchange across the road as an added precaution.