Singapore public transport operator SMRT is looking to recruit around 700 staff and is offering up to S$3k (£1.4k) in referral fees to existing staff, according to The Straits Times.

Under the company's enhanced employee referral scheme, SMRT’s 9,000 staff are eligible for the cash reward for each successful new candidate recruited for its rail and bus operations.

The cash incentives are SMRT's most attractive so far, and come amid the company's push to strengthen its maintenance capabilities, it said.

In a statement on Monday, SMRT said: "Many of these jobs are fresh positions created to poise SMRT for growth as demands for operations and maintenance work in its rail network and bus services increase." 

SMRT employees will get $1.5k if their referee is hired as a rail supervisor, $1.6k if they successfully refer a bus captain or trainer, and $3k if they refer an engineer.

New joiners hired as bus captains or bus trainers also stand to receive a sign-on bonus worth $2k. The sign-on bonus is valid from 11 December to 1 April, 2016.