Checks on Mercedes-Benz public buses stepped up after fire incidents: Murali

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SINGAPORE - Public transport operators have stepped up inspections on Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses in their fleet after the model was involved in fire incidents in the first half of 2026.

After investigations into the buses that caught fire, and the blazes were found to have been caused by different failures and not one single thing.

Speaking in Parliament on Aug 5, Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai said the mechanical parts in question were also found to be within the accepted lifespan under manufacturer guidelines.

He was responding to a question from WP MP Dennis Tan (Hougang), who asked for the cause of the fires, and if any additional safety measures were put in place on older buses to ensure passenger safety.

Pillai said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) instructed operators to step up inspection on the Mercedes-Benz buses, and nothing out of the ordinary was found.

He added that LTA is working with the operators to improve the inspection regime for older buses, and assess if more preventive measures can be rolled out to cut the risk of fires.

Pillai also touched on the causes of the bus fires. One incident in the first half of the year was caused by the bus propeller shaft coming loose. On another bus, the failure of the turbocharger caused the fire.

At least three public bus fires were reported in the first half of 2026 – on Feb 13, March 30 and May 5. No one was injured in all three cases.

Pillai said LTA is working with the operators and the bus manufacturer, who found no abnormalities.

He said: “We are continuing to monitor the situation and will not hesitate to take any further steps necessary to maintain passenger safety.”

Tan also asked about the type of fire detection and suppression systems used on the buses. Pillai said there are such systems for the engine compartment but did not provide details.