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Man arrested for selling Traffic Police appointment slots for conversion of foreign driving licences
Accounts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu were found offering appointment slots for up to $800.PHOTO: XIAOHONGSHU
Lok Jian Wen and Elaine Lee
UPDATED JAN 20, 2025, 09:28 PM
SINGAPORE – The police have arrested a 39-year-old man for his suspected involvement in the sale of appointment slots to foreign driving licence holders, said a police spokesperson on Jan 20.
He is currently being investigated for cheating by personation under Section 419 of the Penal Code. Investigations are ongoing and action will be taken against those involved in fraudulent activities, said the spokesperson in response to queries by The Straits Times.
The date of arrest was not disclosed by the police.
The police said they were aware that appointment slots to convert driving licences were being sold online.
The Traffic Police (TP) tightened the system by having applicants book slots using their Singpass accounts from Dec 10, 2024, instead of mobile phone numbers, said the police.
Before that, TP had in April that year stopped the practice of drivers getting their appointments in person at driving schools, meaning anyone could book appointment slots with just their phone numbers, a loophole that scalpers subsequently exploited.
After first snapping up available appointment slots with their own details, scalpers could later amend the identification number to that of the would-be applicant who purchased the slot.
Checks by ST on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu found at least five accounts offering slots to foreign drivers for fees of up to $800, with the alternative being appointment slots four or five months away.
Bookings for appointment slots made with Singpass accounts are not transferrable, and the identities of the applicants will be verified during their appointments at the driving schools. Applicants whose particulars do not match those submitted will not be served, said the police.
TP has cancelled more than 500 bookings for multiple appointments made with the same phone number, e-mail address, identification number or name, to prevent further abuse of the system.
Individuals who already have foreign driving licences can apply to convert their permits for use in Singapore in lieu of taking a practical test, after passing the Basic Theory Test.
