Private-hire driver gets warning for 'kidnap' video
LTA says taxi and private-hire drivers cannot make recordings in vehicles without approval
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Gojek driver Kamaruzzaman Abdul Latiff playing his video of a spat with a passenger over the route he had taken.
SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO
Toh Ting Wei
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The Gojek driver involved in a dispute caught on a viral video earlier this year has been issued a warning by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) over the incident.
In response to queries from the media, the LTA said yesterday that the warning was issued to private-hire car driver Kamaruzzaman Abdul Latiff for the unauthorised recording and disclosure of a video, taken in his vehicle, of himself and a female passenger.
The spat occurred on Jan 29, and the LTA summoned Mr Kamaruzzaman for an interview in early February.
An LTA spokesman said taxi drivers and private-hire car drivers are not allowed to make recordings within their vehicles without the LTA's approval or disclose recordings to unauthorised personnel.
"This is to ensure commuter privacy, safety and protection of personal data."
Mr Kamaruzzaman, 49, declined to comment when contacted by The Straits Times.
The conditional warning that he has received from the LTA requires him to maintain a clean record for the next 12 months.
The Straits Times understands that Mr Kamaruzzaman did not chalk up enough points under the Vocational Licence Demerit Points System to warrant a revocation of his licence.
A vocational licence may be revoked if there are more than 20 demerit points awarded within 24 months against the licence holder.
The points system requires taxi drivers and private-hire car drivers to abide by a framework of rules and regulations. It aims to make the process of investigation and imposition of penalties more transparent for both commuters and drivers.
Mr Kamaruzzaman shared the seven-minute clip on the Gojek Singapore Community Facebook page on Jan 31, showing a heated exchange with a female passenger over the Electronic Road Pricing gantries during a ride.
He had picked the woman up from Block 251 Bishan Street 22 at about 7am and was to drop her off in Coleman Street.
Mr Kamaruzzaman previously told The Straits Times that the passenger had started to get upset with him when they were on the Central Expressway.
In the video, which was taken using his mobile phone, the passenger is heard saying "it is clear that you are out to cheat money".
Mr Kamaruzzaman is then heard repeatedly saying that he prefers to settle any issues at a police station.
The car eventually comes to a stop in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, and Mr Kamaruzzaman is seen speaking to a Certis Cisco officer.
At one point in the video, the passenger screams, claiming that Mr Kamaruzzaman had locked the car door on purpose and intended to kidnap her, adding later that he did not want to let her alight from the vehicle when they could not settle their dispute.
In an earlier interview with The Straits Times, the passenger, a 25-year-old who wanted to be known only as Ms Jovina, said she made it clear as she got into the car that she wanted to avoid the more expensive route.
"He didn't say if he was okay with that or not and continued to drive. I thought it would be better to clarify with him and told him again that I wouldn't want to go on the more expensive route," she said.
A Gojek spokesman said in February that a fair outcome had been reached between Mr Kamaruzzaman and the passenger, and that it considered the matter closed.
