The Gojek driver in a viral video has been summoned by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for an interview as part of investigations after a complaint was filed against him.
In a letter dated Monday and seen by The Straits Times, Mr Kamaruzzaman Abdul Latiff is asked to attend an interview with an LTA official today.
Mr Kamaruzzaman has been asked to have with him his NRIC, vocational licence, driving licence and "the recording device, its recording and any other evidence". The letter ends by saying his attendance is compulsory under traffic rules.
Mr Kamaruzzaman, 49, told The Straits Times on Monday that he was in Malaysia taking time off from driving when his son sent him a photo of the letter.
He said he would go to the interview and may consult a lawyer.
Earlier on Monday morning, an LTA spokesman said: "LTA is looking into this incident."
LTA, in response to further queries, added: "To get a more comprehensive understanding of the matter, LTA will need to meet up with both the driver and the passenger to hear their respective accounts of the incident."
A Gojek spokesman said the company is aware of LTA investigations, which it is cooperating with "on an ongoing basis". "It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage," the spokesman added.
On Jan 31, Mr Kamaruzzaman shared a seven-minute clip of a heated exchange with a passenger on the Gojek Singapore Community Facebook page, saying that the female passenger was upset that he could not avoid Electronic Road Pricing gantries during the journey.
He had picked her up from Block 251 Bishan Street 22 at about 7am on Jan 29 and was heading towards Coleman Street.
In the video, which was taken using Mr Kamaruzzaman's mobile phone, the passenger is heard saying "it is clear that you are out to cheat (my) money".
She then makes a phone call, and an unknown person is heard over the mobile-phone loudspeaker saying, "you have no right to take her hostage" and "you are causing her to lose her freedom".
Mr Kamaruzzaman repeatedly says in the clip that he prefers to settle any issues at a police station.
The car eventually comes to a stop in Toa Payoh Lorong 4, as Mr Kamaruzzaman speaks to a Certis Cisco officer.
At one point, the passenger screams, claiming Mr Kamaruzzaman had locked the car door on purpose and intended to kidnap her, saying later that he did not want to let her alight from the car when they could not settle their dispute. Mr Kamaruzzaman tries to explain that the car has auto-lock doors.
As of last night, the video posted on the Roads.sg Facebook group has attracted more than 838,000 views and 11,700 shares.
