If you’ve travelled to other Southeast Asian countries, you might have seen motorcycles being used to ferry pillion passengers via private-hire platforms such as Grab.
However, such a practice is banned in Singapore, with only cars allowed to be used as private-hire vehicles with the requisite licences.
Notwithstanding this, a motorcyclist was caught taking a private-hire passenger in Yishun.
Source: Land Transport Authority on Facebook
He was fined and suspended for 12 months.
In a Facebook post on Friday (5 Jan), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it carried out enforcement operations against illegal pooling services last year.
According to a previous post, these were conducted in May 2023.
During the operation, one motorcyclist was caught using a prohibited vehicle as a public service vehicle, i.e. offering private-hire rides.
He also did this without the requisite insurance coverage.
His motorcycle was subsequently impounded.
Source: Land Transport Authority on Facebook
The motorcyclist was charged in court and convicted for his offences.
He pled guilty, and was fined a total of S$1,800.
He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for 12 months.
This is the first case where a motorcyclist has been charged and convicted for “conveying passengers for hire and reward” purposes, the LTA said.
According to court documents seen by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the motorcyclist, Muhammad Hasbullah Rosly, was caught on 3 May 2023 at about 8.45am.
He was in the vicinity of Block 505D Yishun Street 51.
Source: Google Maps
The 33-year-old had been hired to ferry a passenger from Yishun Street 51 to ITE College West in Choa Chu Kang.
He didn’t know his passenger personally, and was to be paid S$18 for his services.
Muhammad Hasbullah reportedly knew that it was an offence to take private-hire passengers on a motorcycle.
However, he did this to earn additional income, he said.
This was not the first time he did this. Earlier that morning, he took a passenger from Tampines to ITE College West, also for a fare of S$18.
As motorcycles aren’t allowed to be used for private-hire rides, his motorcycle wasn’t registered as a public service vehicle.
Neither did he have a valid insurance policy for hire and reward services.
Separately, two cars were also caught in the same LTA operation on 3 May 2023.
One of the drivers, Muhammad Nasrulhaq Shamsulnizam, 21, was charged and pled guilty to not possessing a valid vocational licence and using his vehicle for private-hire rides without a valid relevant licence and insurance coverage.
Source: Land Transport Authority on Facebook
He was driving a passenger from Block 194 Rivervale Drive to Thomson Plaza for a fare of S$24 when he was caught at about 11.55am.
His vehicle was registered as a passenger motor car, without any valid public service vehicle licence or insurance policy covering private-hire services.
Upon conviction, he was fined S$1,800 and suspended for 12 months.
The second driver’s case is still before the courts.
LTA takes “a serious view” of unlawful private-hire services, it said.
It added that it’ll continue to take enforcement action against those who flout the rule by providing such illegal services.
Commuters were also urged to book such services via licensed business platforms for their safety.
Illegal transport services may be reported to the LTA’ via their online forms or their One Motoring website under “Report Vehicle-Related Offences”.
Also read: S’pore PHV Driver Claims To Make S$12.8K In A Week By Working 11 Hours/Day
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Featured image adapted from Land Transport Authority on Facebook and on Facebook.
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