Bus captain fixes door that couldn't close and resumes journey, passenger worries it's not safe

An SMRT bus stopped in Choa Chu Kang and could not move again as its rear door could not be closed.

Stomper Raven, who was a passenger, shared a video of the bus captain attempting to fix the door.

In response to a Stomp query, Mr Vincent Gay, Deputy Managing Director of SMRT Buses said: “On May 28 at about 8.30am, a rear door on bus service 190 became faulty. The bus captain managed to rectify it before resuming the journey.

"Our buses are equipped with safety features to prevent them from moving while the doors are open. We appreciate commuters on board for their patience."

The Stomper said it happened about 20 minutes after the bus left Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange.

"A bus door was unable to close for about 10 minutes or so. The bus was not moving. The bus driver tried his best to 'reboot' by turning off and starting the engine five times but failed to shut the door.

"I never expected this to happen. What an unlucky day."

The Stomper said: "No apology or a word of sorry from the bus driver too.

"Later, he tried tapping on the top section and even knocking on it multiple times, but it still did not work. He tried rubbing the top surface, the sensor of the door, but that failed to work.

"Finally at last, the bus driver got out and used force to shut the door with both his hands, pushing it to full closure.

"Just a personal opinion, the bus driver should have stopped the bus service, let the passengers alight safely and board for free the next bus service 190, which was in less than two minutes, but the bus driver chose to continue to his destination.

"Which was why I quickly made my way down to the ticket office within an hour to inform the bus company."

At the ticket office, the Stomper spoke to a staff member named Mr Low, to whom the Stomper is thankful for being "calm, approachable and very helpful".

The Stomper said: "Mr Low acknowledged my worries and knew my heart went out to the passengers. He immediately called HQ to stop the trip and return the bus to the workshop for servicing.

"Our safety comes first. What if along the way, the door suddenly opened?"