Commuter sustains serious injuries after SBS Transit bus driver applies emergency brakes

SINGAPORE —  A commuter sustained serious injuries while travelling on board an SBS Transit bus on Wednesday (Sept 8), after the bus driver applied the emergency brakes. 

The public transport operator said in a statement on Thursday that based on its closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, bus service 175 was travelling straight along North Bridge Road when a car in the next lane “suddenly cut” into the bus’ lane and brushed against the front of the bus. 

Ms Tammy Tan, SBS Transit's senior vice-president of corporate communications, said that to avoid an accident, the bus driver immediately applied the emergency brakes.

The commuter, known only as Mr Siah, was seated on the first seat near the front door and had just stood up to prepare to alight. He then lost his footing and was thrown forward, Ms Tan added.

The driver then immediately stopped the bus and contacted the operations control centre, which called an ambulance that took the commuter to a hospital.

The CCTV footage has been shared with the Traffic Police, which is looking into the incident. 

Ms Tan said that SBS Transit was only able to contact Mr Siah’s family late last night after receiving an online feedback alert at 10.45pm, as it did not have the family’s contact details earlier.

“We called them to make contact and to let them know that we were expediting our investigations and would get back to them in the morning, which we did. We remain in close communication with them during this difficult period.” 

On Wednesday, the commuter’s daughter, Ms Siah Hwan Ling, had put up a Facebook post asking for eyewitnesses to come forward following her father’s fall. 

“We have no information of the accident at all as we were given bits and pieces of information only... We only knew it was because the bus driver has done an (emergency) brake, which resulted in him falling so badly. But (the) injury doesn’t seem like a normal fall,” she wrote.

On Thursday morning, she updated the post saying that the accident happened before the bus stop of Bugis Cube, and before the left turn of Liang Seah Street. 

Noting that many pedestrians cross the road there and buses should not be travelling fast in the area, she said: "That (emergency) brake shouldn’t have caused such a serious injury.”

On Thursday afternoon, Ms Siah updated the post again saying that her father had been transferred to the intensive care unit after suffering bleeding in his brain, multiple fractures and punctured lungs. 

She again urged more eye witnesses to come forward with photos. TODAY has reached out to Ms Siah for comments.