But it's not always that the Bus Captain is at fault. Investigations, including eyewitness accounts, have shown that commuters are sometimes to blame as well – they don't flag the bus early enough and wait till the bus is moving off before waving frantically.

In a move to prevent such incidents from recurring, SBS Transit has launched a "Flag the Bus Early" public education campaign.

Through the campaign, commuters will be reminded to remain on the constant lookout for the bus instead of listening to their mp3 players, reading the newspapers or SMS-ing their friends. Commuters should also not run after buses pulling out of bus bays because of safety reasons. Also, contrary to popular belief, Bus Captains are not always able to see commuters running after their buses as they are focussed on pulling out of the bus bay. During such instances, they are looking at the side mirrors and not at the bus stop – something which many commuters mistakenly assume they are doing.

As part of the campaign, giant hands made of acrylic are being installed on 100 selected bus stops around the island. Life-sized standees, featuring a boy and a girl with one arm outstretched, will also be put up at all its 16 bus interchanges. Each standee will carry brochures depicting safe bus stop practices for commuters' easy reference.