Over 3,000 job openings in public transport sector to be added over next few years: Chee Hong Tat
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, accompanied by MPs for Punggol GRC Yeo Wan Ling, Janil Puthucheary and Sun Xueling, with staff from Go-Ahead Singapore after a tour of Punggol Coast Bus Interchange on May 20. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Over 3,000 job openings in public transport sector to be added over next few years: Chee Hong Tat
SINGAPORE – More than 3,000 job opportunities will be added to the public transport sector over the next few years, as Singapore's rail network expands and bus services are enhanced.
A bout 2,000 new job openings are in the rail sector, and more than 1,000 in the bus sector, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat during a visit to the new Punggol Coast Bus Interchange on May 20.
Technicians and engineers, as well as those specialising in data analytics and cyber security, are required in the rail sector.
The Jurong Region Line is slated to open in three stages from 2027 to 2029 , while the first 12 stations on Cross Island Line are expected to be completed by 2030 .
The bus sector will need bus captains, technicians and engineers, all of whom have to be equipped with skills to support the shift to electric buses, as the Government targets to refresh Singapore's public bus fleet so that half of them will run on batteries by 2030.
Mr Chee also noted that public transport operators will need to hire more people due to the expansion of bus services under the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme (BCEP), a $900 million initiative launched in July 2024 to improve public bus connectivity for residents of new housing projects.
Asked how the Government hopes to attract workers to the public transport sector , Mr Chee said it will work closely with its partners – including National Transport Workers' Union – to reach out to fresh graduates and mid-career entrants.
There will b e sign-on bonuses and various incentives, such as a referral programme for existing public transport workers to recommend their friends to join the sector.
'It's a very meaningful area of work, and we hope that with this expansion in our rail network and bus services, more Singaporeans will be able to join us as public transport workers,' he said.
On training workers to handle electric buses, Mr Chee said the Government has been partnering tertiary institutions to equip students with the necessary skills.
For mid-career entrants or people who may have missed such courses, he noted that there are programmes available under the continuing education and training scheme.
Mr Chee said that this is an ongoing process, and that many students are interested in working with new technologies – including the use of data analytics to improve decision-making and maintenance processes.
The transport minister also fielded questions from the media on other topics, including the adoption rate of electric vehicles here.
He said the stronger take-up of EVs here was a 'good trend', and expressed hopes for prices of EVs to continue dropping over time as the technology improves, and for the battery performance of EVs to continue improving.
EVs accounted for 40.2 per cen t of total car registrations in the first three months of 2025, hitting a new high.
Mr Chee added that the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority will continue to support the installation of EV charging points in public carparks and condominiums.
When asked if he expects to stay in the Ministry of Transport or move to another ministry after the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Chee said: 'You should wait for the Prime Minister to announce the Cabinet reshuffle. Whichever role I take up, whether in transport or in another capacity, I will continue to do my best.'
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