SBS Transit will increase the number of controllers monitoring its 3,000 buses

Controllers under SBS Transit monitor the distance and time intervals between buses when they leave their terminals. With 45 bus controllers currently employed, SBS Transit wants to add 20 more by the end of the year.

Mr Johnson Lim, SBS Transit's Assistant Vice President for its operations control centre, told The Straits Times that the addition in staff will aid reliability of services on top of rendering enough assistance to bus captains.

The addition of new controllers will also help the firm meet new standards to improve bus punctuality when the new 'Quality Incentive Framework' - akin to London's 'reward and penalty' bus regime - kicks in for some 25 services. Specific targets will be given to operators in terms of waiting times at bus stops.

Currently, the controllers from the transport firm are based in two operations control centres in the Western and Northern parts of Singapore. They are constantly in contact through radio with bus drivers and will warn when buses are too far or near each other.

Details on the Quality Incentive Framework have not been announced but transport analysts cite putting more eyes on the roads a good step to improve services.