PUBLISHED ONMay 05, 2022 3:09 AMByKhoo Yi-HangA woman who decided to change seats while on a moving bus on Monday (May 2) lost her balance and fell backwards when the bus driver braked suddenly.
Zhou, a sales promoter, said she slammed her back against a seat handle before landing on the floor.
Thankfully, a kind female passenger helped her to sit on the steps on the bus, she said, reported Shin Min Daily News.
"Another passenger informed the driver I had fallen, so the driver stopped," Zhou related to the evening newspaper. "I also requested that he call an ambulance to take me to the hospital."
The bus driver from Go-Ahead Singapore then questioned her request for an ambulance, said the 57-year-old.
"He said that I was making a mountain of a molehill," Zhou recounted. "He asked me, 'Must you really call an ambulance?'"
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She also claimed that the driver even requested that she not make baseless reports as that would put his job in jeopardy.
However, Zhou said that she decided not to keep quiet about this incident on Monday evening as she had read about instances of reckless driving by other bus captains in recent months.
When contacted, Go-Ahead Singapore told AsiaOne that the bus captain was focused on the road ahead of him when the incident happened.
"[He] promptly stopped the bus safely when he was made aware that a passenger had fallen," the spokesperson said. "In line with established procedure, the bus captain immediately rendered assistance and sought consent from the responsive passenger to request for medical assistance."
An ambulance later conveyed Zhou to Sengkang General Hospital.
Recounting the incident, Zhou said that she was on bus number 136 on Monday heading home from work when the incident happened.
She had boarded the bus outside North Spring Primary School in Sengkang but stood up to change seats at the next stop.
"The captain moved off before I could sit down," Zhou told Shin Min Daily News. "When I was about to sit, [the captain] braked suddenly."
After falling to the ground, Zhou said she "burst into tears" as she was in severe pain, had difficulty breathing and was unable to stand up.
At the hospital, an X-ray test yielded nothing of note but she was required to stay in the hospital for observation.
Aside from the large bruises on her back and right arm, Zhou said she vomited during her first night at the hospital.
"I feel better now," Zhou said to Shin Min Daily News. "But the pain in my back and buttocks is still there, whether I'm sitting or lying down."
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But now her main worries are the hospital bill, a potential $800 loss in commission from her job and whether she can still perform at her job.
She said that according to her company's regulations, she will not receive any commission for the milk she sells if she takes more than six days of sick leave within a month.
"My job requires me to stand for seven hours or more," Zhou said. "I don't know how long it will take for me to recover enough for my job."
Her daughter, a 33-year-old hairdresser, said she hopes that the bus company could at least cover their medical bills as well as some compensation.
Go-Ahead Singapore told AsiaOne that on the May 2 incident, a female commuter had fallen as she attempted to switch seats whilst pulling a grocery trolley.
"We are attempting to contact the injured passenger to provide assistance," the spokesperson stated.
There were 15 other passengers on board the bus that had alighted following the incident, said the bus operator.
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khooyihang@asiaone.com