Passenger flung forward when bus stops suddenly, driver could've 'shown more direct concern'

It was an emergency stop.

A bus captain could have "shown more direct and personal care and concern" for a passenger who was hurt after she was thrown forward when the bus captain braked suddenly to avoid a collision, said SBS Transit.

The incident happened at Eu Tong Sen Street on Dec 2 at around 1.30pm and the passenger was Stomper Adeline's mother.

The Stomper recounted: "My mom was travelling on bus service 124 and as she was reaching her destination at Clarke Quay, she prepared to alight."

Adeline said her mother had sat two rows behind the bus exit and she stood up, holding the handrail when the bus approached the Clarke Quay Central mall.

(File photo: The Straits Times)

"The bus suddenly braked very harshly and she was flung to the front of the bus in that split second.

"She lost consciousness and other passengers went to shake her to wake her up. She regained consciousness in shock and was shivering. They helped her up to a seat as she was struggling and in pain. The left side of her body felt numb and she was feeling giddy.

"From the moment of the accident, the bus driver did not come forward to check on any passenger or my mom. All he did was urged the passengers who witnessed the accident that it wasn’t his fault. He went around asking for everyone’s phone number.

"People started asking the driver to call an ambulance and that was when he came forward and said he had water and asked my mom if she wanted any. My mom declined and said she was in pain.

"He then called someone on his mobile phone. My mom called my brother and me. We spoke to the driver, asking if an ambulance had been called. He said yes, he called his office."

The Stomper said the ambulance came at 2.25pm and took her mom to Singapore General Hospital. The siblings arrived at the hospital at 3pm.

(File photo: The Straits Times)

"At 4.30pm, I decided to call the driver, thinking he was worried for my mom, but all he said was this was an accident and no one had wanted it."

Adeline said that thankfully, her mother seemed better the next day.

In response to a Stomp query, Mrs Grace Wu, Vice President (Special Grade) of Customer Experience and Communications at SBS Transit, said they were sorry to learn that the Stomper's mother was hurt on board the bus as it was travelling straight along Eu Tong Sen Street.

"Our bus captain had to apply the emergency brakes to avoid a collision with a car that had suddenly started to exit from a side road into the bus' path. Unfortunately, this resulted in Adeline's mother, who was preparing to alight from the bus, to be thrown forward.

"Our bus captain immediately left his cabin to check on her before he contacted our operations control centre to activate an ambulance.

"Although he did check on her again after she had been helped up to a seat by fellow passengers, he could have shown more direct and personal care and concern for her as part of our caring service. We will counsel him so that he can do better under such circumstances.

"We are also thankful to the passengers who had stepped forward to assist and extend care and concern for Adeline's mother.

"We are in touch with Adeline and do wish her mother a speedy and complete recovery."