UPDATE (11pm, 11 Nov): According to an LTA spokesperson, five written warnings have been issued to drivers who breached the rule in question since 2010. These letters do not carry any penalty.
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Earlier this week, a letter from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to a taxi driver who allegedly failed to search his vehicle after a ride started making rounds on social media.
The letter’s contents sparked a public outcry, with some netizens calling the requirement “ridiculous”.
On Friday (11 Nov), Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling shared that LTA has agreed to review the relevance of this “long-standing rule” moving forward.
Image for illustration purposes only
Ms Wan – an advisor to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) – also shared that LTA has decided to withdraw the now-viral letter addressed to the cabbie.
In a Facebook post on Friday (11 Nov), Ms Yeo shared that the NTA and NPHVA had contacted the LTA for clarification regarding the incident in question.
Source: Yeo Wan Ling on Facebook
In response, LTA shared that the rule they were upholding was a “long-standing one” and serves as a “good practice” on the driver’s part.
They also clarified that they merely intended to remind the driver of the practices. They’ve allegedly never prosecuted any driver for such breaches.
The statutory board has since agreed to withdraw the letter to the taxi driver.
Moving forward, LTA agreed to review the relevance of this regulation together with stakeholders.
Ms Yeo, who’s also a Director at NTUC U SME and U Women and Family, added that drivers’ work conditions often do not allow them to search for items passengers accidentally left behind in a safe and effective manner.
Stating that drivers’ safety should be a top priority, Ms Yeo said the rule should not be an “obligation that attracts penalties”, even though it’s a “good practice to have”.
Earlier this week, a picture of the LTA letter was shared on the Beh Chia Lor Facebook page.
Source: Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road on Facebook
Addressed to a taxi driver, the letter stated that the cabbie failed to search his vehicle at the end of a trip for belongings that a passenger had left behind.
As such, LTA found the driver to be liable for the offence of “failing to search vehicle for any property accidentally left behind by the rider”.
Netizens, however, found the warning “ridiculous”, with many sympathising with the driver who received the letter.
The letter also stated that the cabbie made at least one appeal through his MP, Ms Tin Pei Ling.
On Friday (11 Nov), Ms Tin shared via Facebook that she had made two appeals on behalf of her resident.
Source: Tin Pei Ling on Facebook
In light of LTA’s response, she expressed her gratitude for their eagerness to review the matter.
Ms Tin also thanked NTUC and other associations for championing the cause.
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Featured image by MS News.
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