SMRT BC attempts to reverse a bendy despite not trained to do so.

Bendy buses are longer than conventional 12m buses.

An untrained bus captain driving a non-conventional bus (bendy/double decker) poses risk for both the passengers and other traffic users. It is lucky that this incident happened in an interchange, though the article seems to imply that she continued to drive the bendy despite not being trained to.

A SMRT bus driver, a woman in her 50s, attempted to drive a bendy bus, service 302 from Choa Chu Kang Interchange on July 10, despite not being trained to drive such buses.
Bendy buses are about 18m long – 1 1/2 times longer than normal buses. They can take in 125 passengers each - 40 more than a single-decked normal bus.


When the driver, who has been an SMRT service leader for more than 10 years, tried to reverse the bus out of the parking lot, she had difficulty doing so.


An eyewitness who saw the incident told The New Paper: "After a few tries, she had to ask for help from the staff at the interchange.


"When the staff member asked her why she found it hard to reverse the bus, she said she was actually not qualified to drive bendy buses."


The eyewitness said the bus was empty at the time, but he had overheard her conversation with the interchange staff.


She then got off the bus, and another driver helped reverse the bus out of the parking lot before she took over the wheel.


When contacted, an SMRT spokesman said it views the matter seriously and is investigating the matter.


source : The Electric New Paper

If she turned the bus with the techniques of a conventional 12m bus, there is likely to be sideswipes and mounting of kerbs by the trailer/rear drive axle.