Every aspiring driver in Singapore has to go through the initiation process of passing the Basic Theory Test (BTT) before getting the chance to sit behind the wheel.
However, when a 21-year-old man, Chen Chengquan – name transliterated from Chinese – failed his BTT, he went to rent a BlueSG car to drive around.
In total, he did this 49 times within 2 months by using his friend’s driver’s licence.
On 28 Feb, Chen pleaded guilty to 3 charges, including driving without a valid driver’s license and driving without valid insurance coverage.
On Tuesday (1 Mar), Shin Min Daily News reported that 21-year-old Chen was caught renting a car without a licence.
Investigations into the incident revealed that Chen rented a car from BlueSG at least 49 times.
He did so between 7 May and 28 Jul in 2021, using his friend’s driver’s licence. Once, he rented a BlueSG car to ferry his wife from Bukit Panjang to Tampines.
Chen was finally caught during a routine traffic check when a traffic officer flagged him down.
Shin Min Daily News also reported that the accused had been sentenced to probation for being sexually involved with an underage girl before.
He decided to marry her in 2021 and borrowed his friend’s driver’s licence to rent the bridal car.
His friend took a photo of his licence and sent it over. However, the accused didn’t delete the image after the wedding.
Instead, he used his friend’s details to rent BlueSG cars.
Shin Min Daily News stated that Chen had failed his BTT 4 times due to his poor language literacy skills hindering him from understanding the test questions.
Chen argued in court that failing the BTT was not a reflection of his ability to drive. But he also pleaded for leniency as he had rented the BlueSG cars for the happiness of his family.
The judge, however, reprimanded him, saying that he could have chosen to do many other things to keep his family happy. But yet, he decided to opt for such a “foolish act”.
On 28 Feb, Chen admitted to all 3 charges against him in court. Proceedings have now been adjourned.
The charges included driving without a valid driver’s license and driving without proper insurance coverage.
BTT is compulsory for all aspiring drivers. Without it, candidates cannot apply for a driver’s licence.
The BTT ensures that aspiring drivers have sufficient knowledge of traffic rules and regulations. It is vital that drivers pass the test before hitting the roads.
However, perhaps more could be done to assist those who are unable to understand the test questions due to language difficulties.
Nonetheless, we hope Chen has learned his lesson that getting a license is still required by the law before he could take to the road for the safety of all road users.
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Featured image adapted from Lum Wei Tuck on Flickr.
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