LTA SHOULD EVALUATE YOUNG AND FOREIGN DRIVERS MONTHLY

Dear Editors,

With the recently death of a 22 year old uber driver, I have got some comments to make. There is certainly a flaw in our driving system and also laws governing it, let’s drop uber or grab drivers aside, but generally drivers as a whole.

In Singapore, one needs to be only 18 to hold a Class 2 and 3 driving license, 21 years old to hold a bus vocational license and heavy vehicle driving license, and soon, only 2 years driving experience required to go for private hire vocational license. I think that for new driving license holders, be it local or foreigners, the first year is very crucial and they are still very new to the traffic conditions and laws here, hence they are very unfamiliar and unconfident at times, this is what resulted in an accident.

I suggest that the LTA to look into quarterly or half yearly review for these new license holders, which means to say, every 3 months, make them go for a mandatory refresher course and evaluate their driving habits and their interactions to road users and traffic conditions. Should they fail to attend or fail the evaluation, suspend their driving license till they pass it. Subsequently, 21 year old and 1 or 2 years driving experience to hold a vocational license is way too young, imagine a inexperienced guy driving a bus carrying up to 16 passengers, or even hold a Class 4 and carry 50 passengers, one accident who mean all these passenger’s life is a stake!

So I suggest that new license or newly converted license holders have to go through more orientation and training programme to ensure safety of themselves and other road users. And for those young or new heavy vehicle and vocational license holders, send them for a monthly evaluation, ensure they know the safety procedures of it and also passengers safety, make train them with this for at least a year before allowing them to hold the vocational license. Most accidents here are cussed by young, inexperienced and worse still, foreign drivers.

I hope that the LTA can really consider this thoroughly.

Choo

A.S.S. Contributor