Problems that the million-dollar ministers are not solving

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Flexi-adjunct teacher more effective without administrative, CCA duties​

Sep 24, 2022

I refer to the Ministry of Education's response (Positive aspects of taking on CCA responsibilities for teachers, Sept 23) to Mr Peter See's suggestion on managing teachers' workload (Remove CCA responsibilities from teachers' workload, Sept 15).
Few people would argue against the positive aspects of co-curricular activities (CCAs) and taking on CCA responsibilities.
However, both sides may be missing the point regarding teachers' workload.
As a flexi-adjunct teacher, I can see how overwhelmed my full-time colleagues are, juggling classroom teaching, committee duties, administrative tasks and CCA responsibilities.
Without administrative, committee and CCA duties, I have become a more effective classroom teacher than I ever was. The freed-up time lets me focus on lesson conceptualisation, preparation and delivery, not to mention marking.
Even during my first stint as a flexi-adjunct teacher from 2007 to 2009, I shared with the then senior parliamentary secretary for health, who was interested to find out how and why I was able to deliver results during the then pilot programme for academically at-risk students, that I simply had more time to tailor lessons to those students.
Unfortunately, my voice and those I echo seem to have gone unheard.

An opinion piece by Straits Times associate editor Chua Mui Hoong asks whether Singapore has a culture of overwork (Work-life balance: Every worker's right or a reward after decades of service?, Sept 23). For teaching, it is a resounding "yes".
Perhaps it is time for the ministry to revise teachers' workload to better balance teaching, CCA and other responsibilities.
Teachers are now dealing with more parents who are much more demanding, and students with more and greater needs, including special needs.
Regarding CCA responsibilities, perhaps we can learn from the example of a top girls' school which recently posted an opening for a CCA teacher.

Siew Yee Kit

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Better to focus on outcomes and how to resolve issues​

OCT 8, 2022

Forum writer Jim Simon's observation that, too often, traffic warning cones are placed too close to roadwork sites to be of much use is not a new one (No sign placed at an earlier point to warn motorists, Oct 6).
I have previously written to the Land Transport Authority on this issue, the last time in 2018.
The reply I got was an elaboration on the Code of Practice that is already in place and what contractors are required to do.
However, despite the existence of the code, the problem still seems to persist and I have since stopped providing feedback on the issue.
I am less concerned about what measures are already in place than with ensuring something is done and that motorists will not face the same problem.
On Oct 3, Forum writer Yao Chee Liew rightly pointed out that poor workmanship and lack of quality control resulting in gaps at the edge of road gratings was a case of good design that still resulted in poor outcomes (Drain gratings: Design improved but gaps still exist).
These incidents illustrate the need for agencies to focus on final outcomes and ensure such outcomes are maintained.

Responses to feedback should not just focus on repeating to users the measures that are already in place.
While it is good for users to know these measures, the impression given at times is that the replies are more focused on the agency having done its part and how it is not to blame.
It will instead be more meaningful for users to know that the issue will be resolved, not just after the feedback but for good, via continued monitoring and enforcement.

Peh Chwee Hoe

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

S’pore to revise electricity market structure to deal with future volatility: Gan Kim Yong​

As at Tuesday, household consumers can buy from nine electricity retailers. PHOTO: ST FILE

Ang Qing

Oct 25, 2022

SINGAPORE - The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will look into protecting more buyers from volatile prices by restricting the wholesale electricity price market to those that can withstand its fluctuations.
Currently, large electricity consumers such as coffee shops and malls with average monthly electricity consumption of at least 4MWh (megawatt-hour), or 10 times that of a four-room HDB flat, that cannot secure a fixed-price plan have to buy from the wholesale market, where prices fluctuate every half hour, instead of SP Group’s regulated tariff.
Several of such large buyers found themselves in this dilemma late in 2021 when the global energy crunch sparked the departure of some retailers, which affected about 140,000 households and 11,000 business accounts – equivalent to 9 per cent of consumers in Singapore – because they could not find fixed-price plans.
Tighter eligibility criteria for purchasing from the wholesale market are among plans to overhaul Singapore’s electricity market to cope with continued volatility expected in a global energy market rocked by crises since late 2021, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong at the opening of Singapore International Energy Week on Tuesday.
Singapore’s electricity market was “severely tested” during the recent global energy crisis, with the exit of six electricity retailers in 2021, which suggests that several had not been sufficiently prepared against market volatilities and had taken large unhedged positions, Mr Gan said.
Going forward, stiffer regulatory requirements for retailers will be introduced such that “only credible industry participants with sufficient financial strength and sustainable business propositions will be allowed to retail electricity to consumers”, he added.
Separately, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said it plans to impose higher capital and hedging requirements on retailers to ensure that they can cope with market volatility, and additional protections for consumers if retailers prematurely terminate contracts.


Mr Gan said: “We are mindful that these adjustments will reduce the flexibility of some market participants... However, these measures will bring about a stronger and more secure power system.”
As at Tuesday, household consumers can buy from nine electricity retailers, while business consumers can purchase from 15.
These enhancements to strengthen the energy market structure will facilitate Singapore’s transition to cleaner energy sources as it commits to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, said Mr Gan.

This year, Singapore is facing “a perfect storm” of soaring energy prices induced by shortages in fossil fuel production, triggered by underinvestment in energy projects and exacerbated by the Ukraine war, as well as severe disruptions in renewable power around the world, he noted.
“Global oil prices spiked significantly and reached more than US$130 per barrel at its peak, about 10 times higher than the trough in April 2020,” said Mr Gan.
As an island-state that imports almost all of its energy, Singapore is inevitably affected by global turbulence, he added.
The response of the energy market as fuel prices rose sharply in 2021 exposed three issues, including the inability for the wholesale market to function rationally under extreme price volatility.

Said Mr Gan: “When prices in the wholesale market surged, instead of inducing more electricity supply, some generation companies decided to withhold supply for fear that should there be an unexpected disruption in their supplies, they would have to buy at even higher prices from the wholesale market to meet their commitments.
“This caused prices in the wholesale market to surge even further, adversely impacting some consumers who purchased electricity directly from the wholesale market.”
EMA stepped in then to bridge the gap with the temporary electricity contracting support scheme, among measures to stabilise the market, said Mr Gan.
Singapore’s energy market structure needs to be strengthened to navigate volatility, which is expected to continue due to the likelihood of future energy crunches and the global clean energy transition, Mr Gan said, highlighting three areas that the Government will restructure.
To ensure sufficient power generation capacity, the Government will also facilitate the building of generation capacity when required within the next five years, he said.
A competitive tender called by the Government will replace the current system where generation capacity is decided by private generation companies.
Said Mr Gan: “Today, planning decisions are made by private generation companies which may be based on various factors such as their own business plans, or their outlook for electricity demand.
“While each of them will make rational decisions individually, there is no assurance that this will translate into sufficient generation capacity for our needs.”

Should there be inadequate interest from private investments, EMA will build the required new capacity, he said.
To enhance the security of Singapore’s gas supply, the Government will also make permanent several temporary crisis management measures introduced when the global energy crunch hit Singapore in October 2021.
This includes requiring generation companies to maintain sufficient fuel for power generation and establishing a standby fuel facility to guard against risk of gas supply disruptions, said Mr Gan.
The present direction to generation companies requires them to contract sufficient fuel for around 60 per cent of their installed capacity, an EMA spokesman told The Straits Times.
Enhancements to the energy market will be progressively implemented from 2023 after the industry and the public are consulted over the next few months, she said.
More details will be made available during these consultations, including the proposed threshold for consumers to be able to purchase electricity at wholesale prices, she added.
The EMA spokesman said: “Generation companies may not be able to plan new capacity as they wish, but this will reduce the possibility of oversupply of capacity.
“Consumers may have fewer retailers to choose from, but the retailers will be of higher quality.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Your picture: Walkway blocked by shopkeepers’ goods​

PHOTO: SHAN MUGAM SIDAMBARAM

Oct 28, 2022

I refer to the article, “Deepavali celebrations back in full swing after two years” (Oct 24).
The report cited the honorary secretary of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association saying the association was “expecting easily four to five million visitors over the course of the month”.
Given the number of visitors it was expecting over the month, the association should have worked with its members to ensure a safe and pleasant shopping experience.
My recent shopping experience in Little India was an unpleasant one, as shopkeepers had placed articles on the five-foot way in a manner that severely restricted pedestrian movements. Items such as baskets of coconuts, mangoes, and banana leaves were placed on the pedestrian walkways.
I witnessed parents with prams and the elderly having a tough time getting past the obstructions, with some choosing instead to walk on the busy road where they could to avoid the congestion.
This has been happening in Little India during major festive seasons like Pongal and Tamil New Year.
I hope the relevant authorities will act against inconsiderate shopkeepers who place profits above the safety of their customers.

Shan Mugam Sidambaram

 

[saynotomsm]

Government don't solve problems. Their job is to create problems.

 

[birdie69]

Government don't solve problems. Their job is to create problems.

the main cause of inflation is our high property price.
The government should have imposed % of limit that foreigners are allowed to buy private non landed property.

 

[Eisenhut]

Ever rising cost of living, income gab widening, all unfair hiring practice favouring foreigner, poor safety standard in Military ...

 

[bobby]

If there was no fixing....there was no problem in the first place.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Worth emulating other countries’ laws regulating smoking in homes​

OCT 28, 2022

I agree with Dr Yvette van der Eijk that it’s high time Singapore regulated smoking in homes (Other countries are regulating smoking in homes and Singapore should, too, Oct 27).
If other countries with much bigger populations can do this, I believe it can also be done in Singapore, which has only six million people.
Are we afraid of people’s objections? If people in the West, who are more likely to insist on having certain rights, can agree with their governments on such a policy, then I believe there should be no problem getting Singaporeans to agree as well.
Also, since Singapore is launching the Healthier SG initiative and working towards the prevention of diseases, another way to prevent people from getting lung cancer through second-hand smoke is to regulate smoking in homes.
Our Government needs to take a stand in this area as most people will not act if not forced to do so.
For instance, some condominiums have by-laws to stop people from smoking in their homes, but when a matter like this is brought up to the management, it does not seem inclined to pursue it. I live in a condo and have brought up such matters several times, but nobody seems interested in taking action.
Perhaps a smoking point should be set up at every condo and HDB block where people could smoke without causing harm to others.

Lee Kim Pong

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Nightly illegal parking of vans, lorries outside some migrant worker dorms​

Over a 500m distance on both sides of Woodlands Road, mini-lorries and vans were seen parked illegally on the pavement and grass verge. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN

Vans and mini-lorries illegally parked in Woodlands Road, as seen by ST since December 2022

MOHAMED YUSOF

Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

Jan 1, 2023

SINGAPORE - Mini-lorries and vans parked illegally on pavements in Woodlands Road have damaged kerb surfaces and grass patches, which have become water-filled ruts.
Similarly, in Seletar Link – close to Marina Country Club – and in North Coast Avenue off Admiralty Road West, parking violations have been noticed every night since early December.
Throughout the month, The Sunday Times has observed illegally parked vehicles in Woodlands Road outside Kranji Lodge 1, near Kranji MRT station.
Drivers of light goods vehicles mount kerbs and park on the grass verge along a 500m stretch on both sides of the road, affecting cyclists and pedestrians.
Cyclist Emily Chia said she avoids the area, adding that many heavy vehicles ply Woodlands Road.
Ms Chia, 42, said: “We (she and her cycling buddies) used to ride our ‘foldie’ bicycles on the pavement there. But with illegally parked vehicles on the pavement, we are forced to get back on the road for that stretch.”
Some migrant workers living at the nearby Kranji Lodge 1 who are transported back to the dormitory on these heavy vehicles risk injury – they have been seen jumping off the rear of lorries as the vehicles mount the kerbs at a bus bay nearby. Sometimes, the vehicles are parked on the pavement close to the bus stop or at the bus bay.

Construction worker M. Suresh, who regularly sits on grass patches in the area to eat his meals, said he is often forced to get up while eating and walk away when vehicles park illegally there.
Mr Suresh, 28, a resident of Kranji Lodge 1, said: “Every day, between 8pm and 11pm, we have to move to safer areas like under the stairs of the overhead bridge (to avoid the returning vans).”
It is illegal to park near traffic lights, filter lanes, grass verges, footways and bus stops. Vehicles are also not allowed to park abreast on roads. First-time offenders can be fined $70 for parking on a grass verge or in roads with double yellow lines. Light vehicles that park abreast face a $120 fine.


The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday that 142,497 parking violations were issued in 2019 to all vehicles. From January to November 2022, 86,036 summonses were issued, compared with 112,065 in 2021.
The Sunday Times had asked LTA on Dec 13 how many summonses had been issued to drivers for illegal parking in Woodlands Road and what could be done to curb illegal parking there.

In North Coast Avenue, vans and mini-lorries are parked illegally on the road, which is close to North Coast Lodge dormitory. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF
LTA said it was aware of the situation in Woodlands Road and that it uses closed-circuit television and parking wardens as enforcement tools. It also receives feedback from the public.
An LTA spokesman said: “We take a serious view of illegal parking and will continue to enforce against such offences to ensure the safety of road users. We urge all motorists to adhere to prevailing rules and do their part in fostering a safer road environment.”
A construction company owner, who has 40 foreign workers living at Kranji Lodge 1 and at a dormitory in Tuas, said illegal parking in Woodlands Road has been going on for months. He owns three lorries to ferry workers and equipment to work sites.
The 51-year-old, who gave his name only as Mr Mohamed, said: “By the time my workers finish their work at night, there would normally be no parking spaces at the dorm. To ask our drivers, who stay at the dorm, to drive back to the company to drop off the lorry and then return to the dorm is unfair to them.”

A pedestrian in Woodlands Road passing spots where illegally parked vans and mini-lorries have damaged kerbs and left deep ruts on grass patches. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF
The more than 70 parking spaces at Kranji Lodge 1 are usually filled by 9pm.
Mr Mohamed said the authorities should consider allowing vehicles to be parked at night in Woodlands Road as most of them would leave by 7am, when the workers go to work.
But the same road is often clogged by heavy vehicles returning to Malaysia via the Causeway.
The two-lane road towards the Causeway has double yellow lines to indicate that parking is disallowed at all times. The closest Housing Board carparks are more than 2km away in Marsiling.

On both sides of Seletar Link, vehicles are parked illegally over a 450m stretch. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF
But the most blatant disregard for road safety and traffic rules occurs in Seletar Link outside S11 dormitory. In the dimly lit area, vans and mini-lorries are parked illegally along a 450m stretch. Some are parked four abreast, leaving only one lane for cement trucks to pass.
Retired LTA planner and transport consultant Gopinath Menon said such conditions make it difficult to spot pedestrians.

At Seletar Link outside S11 Punggol dormitory, four mini-lorries and vans are parked abreast, leaving only one lane for cement trucks to pass. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF
He added: “If even one vehicle is parked illegally, it might be hard for (passing) drivers to spot pedestrians. If there are four vehicles parked abreast, chances are you can’t see pedestrians crossing the road. And that’s very dangerous.“
But when there is a shortage of parking spaces within the dorm premises, there is little that dormitory owners or operators can do, said Mr Menon.
In such cases, the authorities can be contacted and they may step in to offer solutions, he added.
SBS Transit said its bus drivers alert its operations control centre (OCC) when they see vehicles parked illegally in bus bays.
Mrs Grace Wu, vice-president of customer experience and communications at SBS Transit, said: “If our bus drivers encounter instances of illegal parking within the bus bay that prohibit them from safely entering and/or exiting the bus stop, they will alert our OCC, which will inform the Land Transport Authority for enforcement action.
“Concurrently, our OCC will activate our mobile traffic inspectors to the ground to assist our bus drivers.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

 

[blackmondy]

Piss And Poop is not there to serve sinkies but subdue and subjugate them.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Unenforced rules on illegal parking may embolden others​

Jan 27, 2023

I am concerned with the general state of enforcement of road regulations (Illegally parked trailer still there despite repeated feedback, Jan 25).
I have made many reports of illegal parking along Taman Sireh on the OneService app, and received the same standard reply each time. I have not observed any physical ticket being issued to the errant vehicle so far, and the same vehicle has remained illegally parked for the past seven days.
I was also advised by the Land Transport Authority’s helpdesk to use the OneMotoring website to make the report. But I have used it since Jan 1 to report offenders, and have yet to see any action being taken against them.
What concerns me the most is that illegal parking, like littering, may seem like a trivial offence, but once such simple rules fail to be enforced effectively, it can signal the start of a decline in general law and order.
Unenforced rules will embolden other potential offenders.
Singapore cannot afford to go down this path.

Ong Eng Hua

 

[Eisenhut]

Take public transport, problem solved

 

[Loofydralb]

Mr Gan said: “We are mindful that these adjustments will reduce the flexibility of some market participants... However, these measures will bring about a stronger and more secure power system.”

Knowing PAP, this is double speak to increase revenue and their pockets.

Reduce flexibility= you pay my inflated price, no nego

Stronger more secure = I will make more money even though I run things inefficiently

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Lessons on primary school education worth learning from international schools​

JAN 27, 2023

I am a former Ministry of Education (MOE) mathematics teacher who has worked at international schools here and observed their teaching methods.
There are many good practices that MOE could consider adopting.
At those international schools, there are specific sessions set aside for pupils to play besides the usual recess and physical education lessons. Coloured chalk is provided for the pupils to draw in the enclosed carpark during play time. There are also creativity centres for pupils to create items with recycled materials.
Maths is also taught differently. For example, while local pupils are told to memorise that vertically opposite angles are equal, international school pupils carry out activities to investigate and conclude for themselves that those angles are equal.
A smaller classroom size, more teaching resources and a lighter syllabus help to facilitate more hands-on activities for pupils to discover and exercise their creativity. During lessons, international school pupils are often asked to express their opinions and explain their thinking. They have less homework, and little or no scolding from teachers.
In local schools, pupils are often overloaded with instructions and information from teachers. Pupils prefer to wait for instructions from teachers, and there is a fear among pupils of making mistakes.
Teachers seem hard-pressed for time to complete the syllabus and to prepare pupils well for examinations. There is very little room for pupils to develop independence, creativity and critical thinking.

While a robust and content-heavy syllabus has served us well in the past, it may no longer adequately prepare pupils for the future. Independence, critical thinking and creativity are important skills to develop.
MOE has in recent years initiated many changes, and is generally moving in the right direction in line with a fast-changing working world. Despite these positive changes, I feel that there is a need to review the primary school education system to inculcate the joy of learning in our children and bring the joy of teaching back to our teachers.
We must also make what is important in education measurable, and not just make what is measurable important.

Harry Lim

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Unenforced rules on illegal parking may embolden others​

Jan 27, 2023

I am concerned with the general state of enforcement of road regulations (Illegally parked trailer still there despite repeated feedback, Jan 25).
I have made many reports of illegal parking along Taman Sireh on the OneService app, and received the same standard reply each time. I have not observed any physical ticket being issued to the errant vehicle so far, and the same vehicle has remained illegally parked for the past seven days.
I was also advised by the Land Transport Authority’s helpdesk to use the OneMotoring website to make the report. But I have used it since Jan 1 to report offenders, and have yet to see any action being taken against them.
What concerns me the most is that illegal parking, like littering, may seem like a trivial offence, but once such simple rules fail to be enforced effectively, it can signal the start of a decline in general law and order.
Unenforced rules will embolden other potential offenders.
Singapore cannot afford to go down this path.

Ong Eng Hua

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Delivery drivers deprived of spaces at unloading bays due to illegal parking​

Jan 28, 2023

I agree with Forum writer Ong Eng Hua’s points in his letter, “Unenforced rules may embolden others” (Jan 27).
I am a delivery driver and am often forced to search for an unoccupied parking space at the HDB loading and unloading bays. Many spaces are occupied illegally by non-commercial vehicles.
I am often forced to park along roads with double yellow lines, with my hazard lights on while doing my deliveries. As a result, I am often ticketed by parking wardens.
I try to plead that the delivery spaces are illegally occupied by others, but in vain.
On other days, I call the HDB enforcement hotline but no one arrives, sometimes even after an hour, despite my repeated calls.
Delivery drivers who are rushed for time cannot wait for those who park illegally to give way to us. Through no fault of ours, we are penalised and our appeals go unheard.
It is time the HDB reviewed its enforcement policies, otherwise ordinary delivery workers will bear the brunt of consequences arising from inconsiderate parking.

Richard Cheng

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Illegal carpooling chat groups on Telegram grow in popularity; LTA monitoring, will take action​

The largest carpooling chat group here, SG Hitch, has over 199,000 members as at Saturday, up from about 56,000 members in April 2020. PHOTO: UNSPLASH

Nadine Chua

Feb 6, 2023

SINGAPORE – On a Friday night, a trip from Bedok to Orchard Road cost $32 on ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek, while the same trip cost $16 on an illegal carpooling chat group on Telegram.
To save on the trip, a 26-year-old teacher, who wanted to be known only as Ms Gen, opted for the carpooling service from SG Hitch to get from her home to Wisma Atria. Her ride in November 2022 put her off such illegal services for good.
“The driver drove dangerously. He was tailgating and speeding the entire time. He later admitted that he rarely drives,” Ms Gen told The Straits Times last week.
“I was really afraid when I was in his car, but because Telehitch is unregulated, there was no way for me to report him,” she said.
Chat groups such as SG Hitch on Telegram that connect drivers and passengers have grown in popularity over the years. These chat groups, known as Telehitch groups, started appearing around 2019 and are illegal and unregulated.
In Singapore, drivers offering private-hire ride services need to get a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL), but this is not required on Telehitch groups.
The largest carpooling chat group here, SG Hitch, has more than 199,000 members as at Saturday, up from about 56,000 members in April 2020.

A check by ST found that there are at least five such chat groups on Telegram, with the smallest having more than 18,000 members. One of these is a group for only female drivers and passengers, and it has more than 32,000 members.
The administrators of the chat groups did not respond to requests for comments.
In response to ST’s queries, a spokesman for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said carpooling matched through informal non-business mediums, such as SG Hitch, is not allowed.

Carpooling arrangements facilitated by licensed business platforms such as GrabHitch and RydePool, as well as other licence-exempt business platforms which have fleets of fewer than 800 vehicles, are permitted, said the spokesman.
There are no restrictions on social carpooling among friends and colleagues, she added.
When asked what measures LTA has taken against illegal carpooling services on Telegram, the spokesman said the authority “will continue to monitor and take enforcement action against those providing illegal carpooling and carpooling matching services”.

In 2019, a man used carpooling chat groups on Telegram to dupe women into believing that he would drive them to their destinations. Instead, he drove them to secluded places and molested them. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ jail and given six strokes of the cane for molestation.
In the same year, a Nanyang Technological University student was reportedly molested by another driver on a Telegram carpooling chat group.
If found guilty of providing carpooling matching services, an individual may be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.
Those convicted of providing illegal carpooling services without a vocational licence, or using an unlicensed vehicle, may be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $3,000, or both.
Passengers who opt for carpooling services offered by Telegram said they do so to save money, especially when fares spike on ride-hailing apps during peak periods.
They said they are aware of the risks involved. These include sexual harassment and other safety risks.
Ms Lim Zheng Yi, who works in IT and uses Telehitch about once a week, said she received nude photos from men on three occasions - once in 2021 and twice in 2022 - when using the platform to get rides.
The 23-year old said: “My friends who use Telehitch have also received unsolicited nude photos.
“But it hasn’t really deterred me from using these chats because the people who send such photos are the minority. I’ll just block them and usually these people will have their accounts banned from the chat group after a while.”
Another passenger, who wanted to be known only as Mr Wong, said he usually uses Telehitch at night when prices are high and it is tougher to get a ride.
The product manager, 26, said: “I’m aware of the safety concerns because the drivers are not screened and the service is illegal, so I’m slightly more alert during the ride.”
Most drivers using Telehitch whom ST spoke to said they use the platform to make a quick buck, even though they are aware that it is illegal.
A 27-year-old financial adviser, who declined to be named, said he picks passengers up on Telehitch about once or twice a month when he rents a car for the day.
“When I’m on my way home, I’ll just send a message on the chat and see if there is anyone I can pick up along the way. It’s just to cover petrol costs, so why not?”

Another Telehitch driver, a university student who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, 25, said: “To be a driver on legitimate apps such as Grab and Gojek, a PDVL is required and I’m too young to apply for that.”
In September 2020, LTA announced that all new PDVL applicants must be at least 30 years old. Prior to that, there was no minimum age, although applicants had to have held a driver’s licence for at least two years to qualify.
Despite the dangers of using illegal carpooling services, many passengers looking to save on travelling cost are willing to take the risks.
A 20-year-old undergraduate, who wanted to be known only as Ms QX, said: “If the driver decides to take you to some place secluded and something bad happens to you, you cannot hold anyone accountable.
“But as someone who is trying to save money, I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of safety to get a better deal.”

 

[Karmile005]