SMRT is considering tweaking the pay structure for its bus captains to be competitive with other companies. The starting pay for an entry- level Singapore bus driver is currently $1,625, potentially rising to a gross pay of around $3,000 with bonuses and incentives.

In comparison, rival SBS Transit offers a starting wage of $1,775, while Go-Ahead and Tower Transit, the new operators under the government contracting model, offer $1,865. But reports say with bonuses factored in, the total salary packages amount to around $3,000 across the board for new drivers.

SMRT's Vice President for Human Resources Gerard Koh said yesterday the difference between a higher basic salary and higher incentives is not the final number but certainty in what one earns. He noted that SMRT may possibly increase its basic salary of $1,625 by a "double-digit" amount.

The competition for bus captains among operators is becoming more intense with the entrance of Go-Ahead and Tower Transit, which are dangling bonuses to experienced drivers to get them to join their ranks.

More than 180 SMRT bus captains are affected by the taking over of bus routes by Tower Transit. Under tripartite terms, these drivers can choose to stay with SMRT or sign on with the new operator on equivalent or better terms. Mr. Koh said about 30 percent of the affected drivers have chosen to remain with SMRT. "The gross is the same, and with all these new (schemes) we are introducing, they said, 'hey, not bad'."