How to become a bus driver

Official title: Bus driver

Also called: Bus captain, Coach driver, Private bus driver, Chief Bus Captain/Master Bus Captain, Senior Bus Captain, Ÿ Bus captain, Ÿ Coach driver

Bus driver drives a bus to transport passengers. He/she adheres to service routes schedules and complies with transportation and traffic rules and regulations. He/she responds to incidents or accidents as per advice by Bus Operation Control Centre and provides customer service to commuters to enhance service delivery on board buses, e.g. assist wheelchair commuters to board/alight the bus safely.

Main tasks

• Driving and tending motor buses, trolley buses or motor coaches to transport passengers or goods locally or over long distances
• Opening and closing doors before or after passengers board or alight
• Assisting passengers with luggage
• Controlling lighting and ventilation on buses and trams
• Observing traffic to ensure safe progress
• Collecting fares or verifying that passengers have the necessary ticket

Ways in

• Licence or registration: Taxi, private-hire car and bus drivers need a vocational licence from the Land Transport Authority on top of a driving licence. That means a medical check, a course and a test. Taxi and private-hire drivers must be at least 30, bus drivers at least 21. Law: Road Traffic Act 1961. Regulator: Land Transport Authority (LTA) (https://www.lta.gov.sg).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $45,384 a year. The middle half earn $27,468 to $61,644 a year.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Tram driver
• Lorry driver
• Trailer-truck driver
• Concrete mix truck driver
• Waste truck driver

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Questions people ask

How much does a bus driver earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $45,384 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $27,468 to $61,644.

Will AI change the work of a bus driver?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026