NTWU Launches Coffee Bus Initiative to Thank Public Transport Workers

~ NTWU reaffirms commitment to championing better wages, welfare and work prospects for public transport workers ~

In line with SG60 and May Day celebrations organised by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) launched a Coffee Bus initiative today to celebrate the dedicated service and contributions of public transport workers in Singapore. The launch was graced by Minister of State (MOS) for Transport and Law Murali Pillai as Guest-of-Honour at the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange.

This mobile Coffee Bus initiative is a symbolic gesture of appreciation for the thousands of public transport workers who keep the nation moving daily, ensuring smooth and safe journeys for commuters. It aims to bring warmth to public transport workers across the industry, and will also serve free coffee and snacks onboard.

The launch event also saw MOS Murali and NTWU Executive Secretary Yeo Wan Ling distributing windmills and NTUC May Day care packs to public transport workers to thank them for their dedicated service.

NTWU Executive Secretary Yeo Wan Ling said, “Public transport workers are the heart of our public transport system. They work tirelessly every day to ensure commuters get to their destinations safely and efficiently. With the Coffee Bus, NTWU would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for our public transport workers’ contributions, and reaffirm our commitment to championing better wages, welfare, and work prospects for them. NTWU will continue to walk alongside public transport workers to understand what they need most, be their voices, and enhance their well-being.”

NTWU’s Over Four Decades of Commitment to Serve Public Transport Workers

The Coffee Bus initiative is the latest in a long line of efforts reflecting NTWU’s enduring commitment to serve our public transport workforce. For over 40 years, NTWU has championed causes close to the hearts of public transport workers – from fair wages to enhanced welfare, career development and job security.

Among NTWU’s key milestones are the recommendations by the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce (BSTT), which were released in March this year. The recommendations were developed with input from tripartite partners, including NTWU, who provided feedback during various taskforce engagements on the working conditions of bus captains. Following the engagements, recommendations were made to improve bus captains’ working conditions, including protected meal break durations; keeping new bus routes’ scheduled runtime to within two hours; improved technology to enhance bus safety; refresher programmes and personalised coaching programmes; and enhancements to the road environment. These recommendations and efforts ensure bus captains are well-supported and equipped in their jobs to continue delivering quality service to commuters.

Over the years, NTWU has also signed various Memoranda of Understanding with public transport operators to ensure better wages, employment terms, and career progression opportunities for public transport workers.

Through the launch of this Coffee Bus initiative, NTWU is reaffirming its commitment to championing better wages, welfare, and work prospects for public transport workers in the decades to come.

About the NTWU Coffee Bus Initiative

The first coffee bus was introduced in Singapore in the 1970s, and they were located at Toa Payoh, Commonwealth Avenue, and Changi Point Bus Terminal, where there were no physical canteens for public transport workers to dine in. With the coffee buses, bus conductors and drivers could then rest and consume their meals in these transformed buses during their breaks. As time progressed, these coffee buses evolved into canteens, and NTWU officially took over the canteen business in 1988, renaming it to the now well-known “NTWU Canteen”. Today, the 50 NTWU Canteens provide affordable meals and beverages for our public transport workers.

NTWU’s Coffee Bus initiative features a retrofitted vehicle designed to serve coffee and snacks. It also provides public transport workers and the public an insight into the transport industry, its transformation, and how NTWU continues to stand strong through the years to ensure that no worker is left behind. Through this initiative, NTWU also invites the community to show their appreciation for everyday heroes behind Singapore’s public transport network by capturing and leaving a video message for public transport workers when they visit the NTWU Coffee Bus.

The NTWU Coffee Bus will be making its rounds to various public transport nodes around the island from 14 May to 2 June 2025. More details on the Coffee Bus schedule can be found in Annex A.