Bus drivers struggle on RM700 basic pay, rely on overtime

New Straits Times

21-06-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: With a basic salary as low as RM700 a month, or sometimes none, bus drivers depend heavily on travel allowances and overtime, often sacrificing their days off just to cover living expenses.
A 34-year-old tour bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mior, said he relied entirely on commissions and the distance travelled, based on his customers' requests.
"My basic salary is only RM700 a month. I receive a 15 per cent commission for each bus rental, while the remaining 85 per cent goes to the employer or tour bus owner.
"If I take on many long-distance trips, I can earn up to RM3,000 to RM4,000 a month, with only five or six days off.
"But if I take on shorter trips, I earn around RM2,000.
"Based on last year's records, the fewest days off I had in a month was three," he said when contacted.
Mior earns about RM400 for a trip from Parit to Seri Iskandar, Johor.
A journey from Seri Iskandar to Kuala Lumpur, including sightseeing with his passengers, brings in about RM1,800.
With a 15 per cent commission per rental, he pockets an additional RM60 for the first trip and RM270 for the latter.
However, a 29-year-old bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mamat, claimed his company did not provide any basic salary.
"For a trip from Manjung to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), I earn about RM50. I can make around RM100 a day for a return trip.
"If I have four days off a month, I earn about RM2,600. If I work without any days off, I can make RM3,000," he said, adding that he still needed to apply for leave whenever necessary.
He however said some express bus companies provide a basic salary of RM1,700, including travel allowances.
Previously, Bumiputera Bus Operators Association (PPBBM) chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said some companies allowed their drivers to work up to 28 days a month due to a shortage of drivers.
He said the arrangement was mutually agreed upon by both the company and the drivers for their shared benefit.
Zainal also said that bus drivers typically earn a basic salary of RM1,700 and have to rely on travel allowances and overtime to supplement their income.