Auntie kneels before LTA officers after being caught cycling on overhead bridge in Geylang East

LTA says it empathises with auntie but officers conducted duties in line with the rules

After being caught cycling on an overhead bridge in Geylang East, an elderly woman was seen kneeling before Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers carrying out enforcement duties.

Footage posted on Reddit showed the auntie apparently trying to persuade the officers not to summon her.

Auntie drops to her knees after getting paper from LTA officers

The 47-second clip started with the auntie in a yellow T-shirt standing next to a bicycle on an overhead bridge next to Block 95 Aljunied Crescent.

Two men in identical black T-shirts stood in front of her; one of them gave her a piece of paper.

After receiving the paper, the auntie immediately dropped to her knees and started gesturing animatedly to the bicycle.

Auntie clasps hands together in front of LTA officers

Seeing this, the other man came over and started talking to the auntie and also gesturing.

At one point, the auntie clasped her hands together in a “praying” position, as if begging.

She finally got up after the men talked to her some more.

Cyclists must dismount and push their bicycles across overhead bridges, according to LTA guidelines.

Most netizens side with LTA officers

In the comments, the majority of Redditors sided with the LTA officers and had no pity for cyclists who flout the rules.

Many said that the auntie should not get away just because she knelt down as this would become a way for everybody to escape punishment.

One user also described kneeling as a form of “emotional blackmail” rather than genuine remorse.

But a netizen had sympathy for the auntie, saying it was “arrogant” to continue standing when someone was kneeling before you.

LTA officers conducted duties ‘in line with the rules’

In response to queries from The Straits Times (ST), an LTA spokesman said overhead bridges are primarily designed for pedestrians and have relatively limited space.

Thus, cycling on an overhead bridge is an offence as it endangers pedestrians’ safety.

The LTA officers therefore conducted enforcement duties “in line with the rules in place” to keep pedestrians safe.

Officers could have been more sensitive: LTA

However, LTA empathised with the auntie’s distress, saying enforcement may be “difficult” at times, especially when dealing with distressed members of the public.

The officers could have handled the situation “more sensitively”, and after reflection, recognised that they could have had greater empathy, said the spokesperson.

LTA noted that its officers have to balance the firmness in upholding safety rules with empathy in their public interactions, and the authority will continue to strengthen their training in this regard.

MS News has reached out to LTA for more information.

Also read: LTA posts reminder for active mobility device rules starting 1 June, netizens push for more enforcement

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Featured image adapted from u/TimidBear on Reddit.