so this is how singapore drivers got squeezed out and staff expense remained controlled over the past many years
http://motoring.asiaone.com/print/Motori...88885.html
Driving the S'porean dream
Advertisements for jobs as Singapore bus drivers attract hundreds of applicants in cities across China.
Wong Kang Wei
Tue, Dec 11, 2012
The Straits Times
SHANDONG, CHINA - Dressed in a smart suit, Mr Zhu Baoliang steps into the lobby of the five-star Le Meridien Hotel, and is quickly ushered up to the ballroom on the fourth floor.
Taking a seat alongside 145 others, the 33-year-old begins to tick off answers to a list of multiple- choice questions in a basic theory and psychological test.
Above them, a sprawling red banner reads: "We warmly welcome the arrival of Singapore's bus company for the recruitment drive."
At each question, Mr Zhu contemplates the options carefully. "Which best describes your personality?" He glances through "soft", "romantic" and "virtuous", before ticking "cheerful". How would he react in situations? He picks "courteously" over "daringly" or "adventurously".
The test is only the beginning for Mr Zhu, who is on his second attempt to work in Singapore. It is just the first of many steps that he and many men - there are no women in this batch - have to go through to get a job as a bus driver in Singapore.
For many like him, Singapore is a bustling metropolis with job opportunities aplenty.
"It's not just about the money," says the distribution manager for electrical goods, who drove inter- city buses as a part-time job four years ago.
"I want to experience what Singapore is like, and understand how the service industry manages to grow at such a fast pace."
The money, of course, is a draw. Singapore transport operators offer total monthly salaries of up to 10,000 Chinese yuan (S$1,970), plus bonuses, housing and free transport - four times or more what a public bus driver earns in China.
Every time a recruitment notice is posted on online forums and Qzone, a Chinese version of Facebook, there is a rush of applicants who send recruitment agents their resumes and photocopies of their education certificates and driving licences.
Stage 1 - Getting ready
Since late 2007, these recruitment drives have been held in cities across China, from Chengdu, Nanjing and Zhengzhou to Jinan, Qingdao and Changchun. Often, they attract crowds of 200 or more.
Singapore-based recruitment agencies such as PeopleWorldwide Consulting act as middlemen between the transport operators and Chinese agents. The process is similar for both SBS Transit and SMRT, according to one Chinese agent.
At a recent drive to recruit 50 drivers, the Chinese agent sent the Singapore employer a shortlist of 146 names. (He declined to be named and did not want to identify the Singapore operator he represents.)
Two days earlier, the men had undergone some training, which involved revising basic driving theory, simple English lessons and some practice on a driving test route.
The training was done in two batches, in the office preparing for the theory test, and on the road to practise their driving skills.
While waiting for their training bus, the men practised their English, saying "Good morning" and "I am a bus driver".
Taking a long puff on a cigarette, Mr Zhang Yong, a 33-year-old Shaanxi native earning 3,000 yuan a month as a public bus driver, said he wanted to go to Singapore to "learn new things".
Besides, he added, Singapore's mix of East and West makes it a good stepping stone for finding employment in other English-speaking countries like Canada.
When the training bus eventually pulled up, the men rushed on board, eager to take their turn at the wheel. A coach sat near the driver, rapping out reprimands for any fault.
The practice drive ended at nightfall, but the day was not over yet: The men still had to get ready for the next day's written tests and the all-important interview.
