‘I still feel lingering fear’: Bus driver says workers ‘manhandled’ him after fight breaks out on chartered bus
A bus driver was allegedly “manhandled” by a group of workers while transporting them back to their dormitory.
In a Sept 13 Facebook post, user Jitesh Dhillon uploaded videos showing a group of workers apparently involved in a physical altercation inside and outside a chartered bus.
A screenshot from the bus’s CCTV footage also showed a worker grabbing the driver by the face.
Speaking to Stomp, bus driver Cai Zhi Feng said he had been pushed, dragged and “manhandled” by the group of workers.
Since the incident on Sept 13, the 40-year-old said he still feels a “lingering fear and deep unease”.
Workers were allegedly ‘heavily intoxicated’
Recounting what happened, Cai said he was under a two-year contract with the chartered bus company and had been assigned to transport the group of workers between Jurong Penjuru Dormitory and Woodlands Link for a company gathering.
He said the journey to Woodlands Link at 10.30am went smoothly.
However, on the drive back to the dormitory at around 4pm, Cai claimed that many of the workers were “heavily intoxicated” and that there was no supervisor on board.
After a while, he said the workers began arguing. Shortly after the bus departed, the conflict escalated into a brawl, which he said severely affected his ability to drive safely.
“I urged them to stop but no one listened,” he said.
Scenes from a video posted by Dhillon show workers in green polo shirts shouting and shoving one another inside the bus. One man can be seen trying to calm another down.
Cai then pulled over and asked the workers to disembark, saying he could no longer drive safely.
It was then that the workers allegedly “dragged, pushed and manhandled” him and tried to force him to continue driving, Cai said.
“After the bus came to a stop, they pushed and shoved me, demanding that I resume driving,” he added.
However, Cai refused to continue driving and called the police, then waited for officers to arrive.
As he waited, he said the workers continued “fighting” outside the bus.
Another clip shows a group of workers quarrelling outside the stationary bus, pointing at and pushing one another.
While he did not sustain any injuries, Cai said he felt uncomfortable and experienced some pain.
When the police arrived, he said officers asked him about the sequence of events and also spoke to the workers.
Cai said he was allowed to leave after officers deemed him fit to drive.
Asked if he knew what sparked the fight, Cai said he did not know, adding that the workers had simply started arguing before it escalated into a fight.
Stomp has reached out to the police for more information.
‘I still feel lingering fear’
Cai said the incident has continued to affect him.
“Up till now, I still cannot focus on driving. The violent scenes from yesterday keep flashing through my mind, especially the moment I was forcibly pushed and manhandled,” he said.
He added that the incident has impacted both his work and mental well-being.
Responding to Stomp’s queries, Singapore Bus Charter owner Jitesh Dhillon said he posted the videos on Facebook to raise awareness of the situations faced by public service vehicle operators.
Jitesh noted that the case is being handled by the police.
He said he hopes a warning will be issued to the workers involved and that he is not seeking prosecution.
“We will take the damages of the bus in our stride and move on from here. We are not looking for any compensation,” he said.
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