JAKARTA - Singapore will raise starting salaries for new local bus captains by S$450 a month from January 1, 2027, the Land Transport Authority said in a joint release on June 3 with the National Transport Workers’ Union and the country’s four public bus operators.

The government will also fund a S$2,000 increase in first-year sign-on bonuses for new local bus captains. LTA said most local bus captains can earn S$600 more per month in their first year of service once higher basic pay, overtime, allowances and bonuses are included, lifting average monthly salaries to more than S$4,000.

The wage move applies to new Singaporean and permanent-resident bus captains. Public bus operators will also make a one-time salary adjustment for in-service bus captains to manage pay differences, improve retention and recognise existing workers’ contributions.

“Bus captains play a crucial role in public transport. From January 2027, we will increase starting salaries and sign-on bonuses to attract more locals to join the profession,” Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said in an official quote annex.

LTA said the pay adjustment follows recruitment and retention pressure in the public bus workforce. For every local bus captain recruited, two are leaving the industry through resignation or retirement. The proportion of local bus captains declined from 54 percent in 2021 to 41 percent in 2025.

The pay changes are tied to Singapore’s bus expansion programme. Since the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme began in July 2024, LTA said Singapore has added or extended 33 bus routes and improved more than 60 existing services, especially in newer estates farther from MRT stations.

Singapore’s public buses operate under a government-led contracting model. The Ministry of Transport says LTA determines bus routes and service standards, groups services into bus packages and contracts operators to run them. The four operators are Go-Ahead Singapore, SBS Transit, SMRT Buses and Tower Transit Singapore.

CNA reported that LTA said the salary adjustments would not lead to fare increases, because fares are decided separately by the Public Transport Council under a fare adjustment formula. LTA said government support for this round of salary changes will continue until each bus package is retendered or renewed.