IRTEC

Singapore’s bus services operate to some of the highest standards in the world, including irtec accreditation for some operators. Richard Simpson fi nds out more

ingapore has been independent for over half a century (from the UK in 1963 and Malaysia two years later) but cultural ties are Sstill stronger than might be expected, Where with English being the fi rst language of quality business and education, and right-hand drive double-decker buses plying the city’s streets. With a population of four and a half workshops owned by the state. including London bus giant Metroline), million spread over just 241 square Government franchises the routes coach company Westbus and various miles, car ownership is highly taxed for to operating companies, which in turn taxi operations, as well as SMRT, a a reason. This makes good lease the vehicles they use from the government-owned arm’s length bus territory; but it is far from being a state, and profi t from advertising on multimodal mass-transit company (bus, capitalist free-for-all. the buses and retail concessions at bus rail and taxi). It once was, but earlier in the city- depots. This system is controlled by the While buses built in the Far East state’s history an industrial dispute state’s Land Transport Authority, and is have appeared on Singapore’s streets, between a bus company and its called the Bus Contracting Model. currently all four major players have workers led to the Hock Lee bus riots With over 3.9 million passenger fl eets dominated by British and of 1955, which left four dead and 31 journeys a day, Singapore’s bus industry European manufacturers including injured. Singapore’s many competing is big business, and as such it attracts Alexander Dennis, MAN, Mercedes- bus companies were then forced to names that will be familiar to British eyes: Benz, Volvo, and Wright. consolidate, and now bus operations notably and Go-Ahead are closely regulated by the government Singapore. These operate alongside WORSKHOP ACCREDITATION and franchised to individual operators the much larger Singapore-owned Two of Singapore’s ‘big four’ have also in a unique format which sees the ComfortDelGro (which trades as SBS turned to the UK for confi rmation of their necessary infrastructure of depots and Transit and also has UK operations high workshop standards. Tower Transit’s Bulim depot was assessed by the IRTE in September 2016, and found to already meet or exceed the organisation’s accreditation standards, fulfi lling a pledge made when it was awarded the contract to operate the depot as part of the bus service tendering process. Approval for Bulim followed IRTE approval for Tower Transit UK workshops in Westbourne Park, Atlas Road and Lea Interchange, as well as Coaches in Cambridge. Tower Transit Singapore also took the opportunity to enrol all its engineering staff as IRTE members.

30 www.transportengineer.org.uk February 2019 IRTEC

engineering leadership to upskill them, and nurture a new generation of knowledgeable, well-rounded vehicle technicians. The engineering centre of excellence is the cornerstone of this recruitment strategy.” The company takes on automotive ANOTHER engineering students from ITE College PERSPECTIVE: West on an ‘industry immersion’ FRAIKIN’S UK programme, where 40 at a time have a month of workshop and e-learning EXPERIENCE OF IRTEC experience at Bulim. Fleet management fi rm Fraikin has matters ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ embraced irtec licensing with enthusiasm. During May of last year, another of the It is responsible for the maintenance of big four, SBS Transit, had six depots around 59,000 trucks, trailers and vans assessed by IRTE. Assessors from in the UK, undertaken at eight depots the UK found all premises to be of nationwide. The vehicles are operated by Subsequently, Tower Transit an exceptionally high standard. Not a wide range of customers, mostly own- Singapore’s dedicated vehicle examiners only were the buildings and facilities account operators who wish to outsource (DVEs) have been tested to the irtec fi rst-class, there was also a strong their fl eet management responsibilities. standard for vehicle examination, and, health and safety culture, reinforced Ant Perfect, learning and development at the start of last year, the company by daily ‘toolbox talks’ and the issuing manager, is responsible for the training became the fi rst in South East Asia of appropriate PPE to all who needed of the company’s 270 staff. He explains to launch an engineering centre of it. Careful track was kept of the formal that Fraikin technicians primarily perform excellence, where technicians from 40-hour-per-year training programme maintenance and inspection on a variety of outside the company are trained to undertaken by each technician. vehicle types and brands. Most of the trucks Institute of Motor Industry standards Equipment ranging from torque tend to be less than fi ve years old, so major in vehicle parts and heavy vehicle wrenches to lifts was all calibrated and repairs are rare. maintenance and repair. tested where appropriate. Singapore He says: “We have a minimum standard The Bulim centre of excellence is operates a similar vehicle test regime to for recruiting technicians, which is irtec also the fi rst outside the UK to assess the UK, with the exception being that level 2. Our approach is centred around technicians for irtec licences, and Tower these external tests are carried out at competence. Qualifi cations show you Transit has the objective of having 100% six-monthly, rather than annual intervals, have the skills, but we also have a Fraikin of its technical workforce assessed and and in most depots SBS Transit had standard of competence which is measured irtec-qualifi ed. Facilities at the centre lanes dedicated for this purpose. by continuous assessment. The Fraikin include a Volvo B8 chassis complete with standard measures how quickly we can Euro VI engine to ensure trainees work move vehicles through the workshop, and with the latest technology. get jobs done right fi rst time. As bus repair is seen to be an “The best-assessed candidates will go on unglamorous profession – just as it is to levels 3 and 4 of irtec. We have the aim in the UK – vehicle operators have to of getting a level 4 master technician into innovate to fi ll the staff roster. Tower each of our branches – and not necessarily Transit Singapore’s head of engineering as a manager. Mark Hegarty says: “Skilled vehicle “An unexpected positive that we have technicians have been one of the noted since we introduced continuous hardest talents for us to fi nd. In the assessment is that managers have had absence of experience and know-how, greater opportunities to engage more with our approach has been to hire promising technicians.” young candidates and a top-fl ight

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