In a Facebook video that has been widely shared, an SMRT taxi is seen travelling against the flow of traffic on a one-way road.
According to the video, the incident happened along Sims Avenue East on Monday at around 12pm.
The video, which has been shared over 900 times, shows the driver who recorded the footage travelling in the middle of a four-lane road.
After he passes a traffic junction, the taxi in question is seen approaching in the same lane from the opposite direction.
The taxi then moves over to the next lane and drives away before the footage cuts off.
The 15-second video clip of the incident was first posted on road safety community page Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road. It has since been widely circulated on social media and posted on Stomp.
SMRT said it had taken action against the driver, saying in a statement: “We treat this incident as a serious safety issue. We have taken the necessary disciplinary action against the driver.”
This is not the first time a vehicle travelling against the flow of traffic has been caught on camera.
Last Thursday, a motorcyclist was seen riding against the traffic flow in Geylang Road, with a Traffic Police officer on his heels. The Straits Times understands that the motorcyclist and a pillion rider were later injured in an accident in Sims Avenue after they crashed.
For driving or riding against the flow of traffic as indicated by traffic signs, drivers can be given six demerit points.
While it is not known why the SMRT driver in the video was going in the wrong direction, some think he probably just made a mistake.
Facebook user Lawrence Wong commented on the post, saying: “Most likely he’s new in this trade and took a wrong turn instead of intentionally driving against traffic.”
The police said no one had reported the latest incident. They were unable to comment on how many cars are caught going against the flow of traffic.
This article was first published on Sep 15, 2016.
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