SBS Transit Launches "Be Safe, Be Seen" Road Safety Campaign

Most people think that buses with their wide and large windscreens coupled with their side mirrors would offer good visibility to Bus Captains of fellow motorists or cyclists travelling next to their buses. However, this is not always the case due to the buses' blind spots which can lead to misunderstandings on the road.

To educate road users, SBS Transit invited visitors to physically sit in the Bus Captain’s seat to experience and discover more about these blind spots at a road safety exhibition that it jointly organised this afternoon, 28 March 2023, with the Traffic Police and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. With the theme, "Be Safe, Be Seen", a bus was also put on display at the exhibition ground with bicycles and motorcycles positioned in its blind spot zones for visual identification.

Held at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub Atrium, the exhibition was launched by Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

SBS Transit Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jeffrey Sim, said: “Safety has always been our top priority and we’re committed to keeping our passengers, Bus Captains and fellow road users safe. While we continually invest in training and technology to help our Bus Captains be safe drivers, we also view it as key to reach out to fellow road users to make travel safe and pleasant for our passengers. In this regard, we’re excited to collaborate with the Traffic Police and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to reach out to the wider communities to promote safety.”

As part of the campaign, 15 buses emblazoned with the “Be Safe, Be Seen” safety message are now on the roads after the first bus was flagged off by Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC at the launch.

The specially designed campaign bus highlights the blind spot zones on its side panels for easy visual identification. It also carries safety reminders for pedestrians to look out for vehicles when crossing the road and passengers to hold onto grab poles, stanchion poles and hand grips when onboard buses.

Mr Aram Pan, 47, a regular cyclist said, “I know about blind spots, but it was more of a guessing game. It was certainly eye opening to sit in the Bus Captain’s seat, as I saw for myself how a cyclist like me may not be visible to the driver when I am in the blind spot zone. I used to get angry and call them careless but now, I know better and I’ll definitely be more careful for my own safety.”

The campaign buses ply six bus routes - 46, 53, 73, 185, 238 and 852 – over a three-month period.