More than 1,000 bus professionals from 36 intakes have completed the Enhanced Vocational Licence Training Programme (EVLTP), a compulsory course for new bus captains to obtain their Omnibus Driver’s Vocational Licence (ODVL). The Singapore Bus Academy (the “Academy”) was set up in October 2016 to provide centralised training and uplift the competency standards across the bus industry workforce. This complements the Government’s significant investments in expanding the bus network capacity and enhancing service standards for commuters.

2.  The EVLTP is a five-day programme comprising six modules and provides comprehensive foundational core skills training for potential bus captains across all operators who wish to obtain their ODVL. Drawing upon industry’s best practices, the programme is conducted by in-house trainers from the Academy, trainers from the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) and the two incumbent public bus operators - SBS Transit Ltd (SBST) and SMRT Buses Limited (SMRT). The six modules are as follows:

• Overview of Public Transport Industry
• Omnibus Driver’s Vocational Licence Rules & Regulations
• Sectoral Tripartism – delivered by NTWU
• Overview of New On-Board Bus Equipment (NOBE) and Common Fleet Management System (CFMS)
• Service Literacy
• Safe Driving Techniques
  • a.  Hazard Awareness Training and Test – delivered by SBST
  • b.  Scenario-based Simulator Training – delivered by SMRT

3.  After the completion of EVLTP, which equips trainees with foundational skillsets, the respective operators will continue to deliver in-house training courses, focusing on company-specific operational knowledge and skills.

4.  Looking forward, the Academy together with programme manager The Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) will continue to work with industry partners to develop job facilitation, skills upgrading and career progression for Singaporeans in the public bus industry. Continual training programmes for existing bus professionals to broaden and deepen their skills throughout their careers, including refresher courses and advanced-level modules will be developed. The Academy also intends to provide training opportunities to other key job roles such as bus scheduler and technicians, to build up their competencies in resource management and technical skills. More details will be announced in the last quarter of 2017.


Annex A: The Singapore Bus Academy