Two car drivers and one motorcyclist were banned from driving for a year after they were caught illegally vehicle-pooling.
They also had to pay a hefty fine.
2 Car Drivers and 1 Motorcyclist Caught for Illegally Vehicle-Pooling
On 3 May 2023, two car drivers and one motorcyclist were caught for illegally vehicle-pooling.
On 13 March, the first car driver, De Cruz Wayne Randall, pleaded guilty to one count of using an unlicensed public service vehicle under the Road Traffic Act and one count of using a vehicle without insurance coverage under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act.
Huh? Gong simi?
What happened was this — he had transported a passenger from Compassvale Road to Kallang Leisure Park in a car for $12 that day.
The issue was first, if he were to be transporting a passenger for hire and reward, he needed to have a valid vocational license for conveying passengers.
He did not.
The second issue was that his car would need to have a valid public service vehicle license for him to use that car to transport passengers for hire and reward.
His car did not.
As a result, he kena-ed a $1,800 fine and was disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licenses for a year — essentially, banned from driving for a year.
Another car driver, Muhammad Nasrulhaq Shamsulnizam, was also fined $1,800 and banned from driving for a year for illegally vehicle-pooling — he had transported a passenger in a car from Rivervale Drive to Thomsom Plaza for $24.
However, the most interesting case has to be that of the third motorist who was caught for illegally vehicle-pooling — the motorcyclist.
It’s the first time a motorcyclist has been convicted in Singapore for conveying passengers for hire and reward.
The motorcyclist, Muhammad Hasbullah Rosly, was caught while he was waiting to pick up a passenger and ferry the individual to ITE College West for $18.
While the motorcyclist claimed that he was picking up a friend, it was eventually discovered that the motorcyclist did not even know the passenger.
Guess everyone’s friends these days. Truly, the kampung spirit.
The motorcyclist was also fined $1,800 and banned from driving for a year.
What Exactly Makes Illegal Vehicle-Pooling Illegal
At this juncture, you might have a vague idea of what is illegal vehicle-pooling, but what exactly distinguishes it from the usual GrabHitch rides many of us are so used to?
Why is it legal for Grab drivers to carpool but illegal for the three motorists above?
You see, carpool rides on Grab are facilitated by the GrabHitch platform — the platform is licensed, the platform maintains records of drivers and trips in the event of an incident, and the platform is required to verify the validity of drivers’ licenses and enforce a maximum of two car-pool journeys a day.
In other words, carpooling by your Grab drivers comply with the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s regulations, put in place to ensure commuter safeguards are in place. So, it’s legal.
Other LTA-permitted license-exempt business platforms are also allowed to vehicle-pool for the same reasons mentioned above.
On the other hand, illegal vehicle-pooling doesn’t comply with any of these regulations. You’re paying for a stranger to ferry you somewhere, but say an accident happens during the ride, there’s nothing for you, as a commuter, to fall back on. There’s no way for you to report your driver.
The next question is then, whether social carpooling is legal — can your friends drive you to Sentosa for a day out without risking a fine?
According to LTA, social carpooling between friends and colleagues is permitted.
So, the long and short of it is this — don’t vehicle-pool unless LTA says you’re allowed to.
And don’t vehicle-pool especially if you’re a motorcyclist. Motorcycles, regardless of the booking platform or whatnot, are not legally permitted to be used to ferry passengers for hire and reward.
If you’re convicted of providing illegal vehicle-pooling services without a vocational license or using an unlicensed vehicle, you can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $3,000 or both.
Save your money for better things lah. Perhaps a new car.
Since 2020, 14 motorists have been caught providing illegal vehicle-pooling services. Of these 14 motorists, ten drivers were convicted and received fines up to $1,800, and disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licenses for a year.
However, it’s doubtful that these 14 cases are the only cases of illegal vehicle-pooling in Singapore.
Those of us on Telegram would have seen the widespread vehicle-pooling offers on the platform — vehicle-pooling arrangements matched through Telegram group chats.
For instance, there are Telegram group chats like “Telegram SG Hitch Singapore”, “SG CAR HITCH” or “SG BIKE HITCH” that match hitchers looking for drivers.
They really could try harder to give their group chats more discrete names…
The appeal of these vehicle-pooling group chats on Telegram is simple — it’s much cheaper than having to get a ride on Grab or Gojek. For instance, while a trip from Jurong to Changi might cost $50 on Grab, it could cost only half the price on these illegal vehicle-pooling group chats.
The only issue with these “Telehitch” groups is that of safety — as we mentioned earlier, these illegal vehicle-pooling services do not comply with LTA’s regulations and may compromise commuter safeguards.
So, if you’re a “Telehitch” user, perhaps think twice the next time you opt for a “Telehitch” instead of a licensed vehicle-pooling platform.
If you encounter any individuals providing illegal vehicle-pooling services, you can file a report with LTA via the contact form at https://www.lta.gov.sg/feedback.
You can also visit www.OneMotoring.lta.gov.sg to file a report to LTA via the e-service “Report Vehicle-Related Offences”.
