Uber driver, LTA officer charged with fighting, hurling abuse at each other

SINGAPORE — An Uber driver and a Land Transport Authority (LTA) enforcement officer — whose scuffle at a taxi stand was captured in a video that went viral last November — were both charged in a district court on Friday (April 15).

Goh Kok Ling, 60, who was picking up a passenger from the taxi stand at Bugis Junction at 7.15pm on Nov 27, was charged with causing affray for fighting with Tan Hock Guan.

He faces a second charge under the Protection from Harassment Act, for hurling abuse in a dialect at Tan, 51, who was carrying out his duties as a traffic enforcement officer. 

Appearing in court on Friday, Goh said he intends to admit to the affray charge, but will claim trial to verbally abusing Tan. 

Goh will return to court on May 9 for a pre-trial conference. 

Tan, who faces identical charges for brawling and using the same abusive words on Goh, plans to plead guilty to both charges. Tan’s next hearing is on April 29. No plea was taken from both men on Friday.
 
Last November, Uber passenger Amber Pek detailed in a Facebook post that she had booked a ride with Goh and set the pick-up location as the Bugis Junction taxi stand, without realising that only taxis were permitted to stop there.  Shortly after Goh arrived, he got into a dispute with Tan, who was in the vicinity in his capacity as an LTA officer. 

Ms Pek later uploaded a video of the brawl, and the LTA suspended Tan shortly after the video went viral. 

If convicted of affray, each man could be jailed up to 12 months, or fined a maximum of S$5,000, or both. 

If found guilty of flouting the Protection from Harassment Act, Tan could be sentenced to a maximum of six months’ jail, or fined up to S$5,000, or both. 

However, Goh faces a heavier sentence as he had directed the abusive words at a public servant carrying out his duty. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 months’ jail, or fined up to S$5,000, or both.