SINGAPORE — The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has lodged a police report against a seller who has been touting his services online to “modify” the tamper-evident decals that must be affixed on private-hire cars such that they become removable.

An LTA spokesperson on Wednesday (Aug 16) confirmed that the report had been made, in response to TODAY’s queries.

A check on the online marketplace Carousell also showed that the listing to modify the decal, which had been up since July 11, had been taken down, although the seller can still be found on the platform.

The seller, with the moniker dd740, claimed that he could help holders of the Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) make their decals removable, such that the “void” word on the back of the label does not appear even after it has been peeled from the car’s windscreen. 

He also claimed that  drivers can “remove and paste back easily” the decals.

dd740’s Carousell profile stated that he joined the platform in May. He has 20 other listings – five of which offer renovation services. He also provides handyman services, offering to do plumbing, electrical, hacking, plastering, painting, cleaning and tiling works for between S$30 and S$900. 

The offer to make decals removable was priced at S$30 a pop. A meet-up was required to close the deal. 

When TODAY called the seller’s mobile number included under one of his listings, a man answered and said: “No, no, no, I am not selling any decal. I don’t know.”

He then hung up.

REQUIREMENT FOR PRIVATE-HIRE CAR DRIVERS

The decal requirement kicked in on July 1, but some drivers had expressed unhappiness over the move, noting that it has made it hard for them to be discreet about picking up fares on the side of their day jobs. Others prefer to keep their status as private-hire car drivers away from public knowledge.

An LTA spokesperson yesterday said that private-hire car drivers should have their tamper-evident decals affixed or replaced only at affixing centres appointed by the authority. 

Those who fail to affix or display these decals, or engage in any form of tampering, defacement, altering, covering, or obscuring of the decals may be fined up to S$1,000 or jailed up to three months, or both. 

Those who forge the decals may be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to a year, or both.

A pair of 14cm-by-10cm decals must be affixed at the vehicles’ front and back windscreens only at an inspection centre assigned by the LTA, and will be checked during the vehicle’s periodic inspection. They are “not transferrable” across vehicles, and “shall not be removed unless the vehicles are no longer chauffeured private-hire cars”, the LTA said.

It will cost S$20 to replace a damaged or removed decal.

Any tampering, including obscuring, covering, altering and defacement, is considered an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

First-time offenders may be fined up to S$1,000, or jailed up to three months, or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to S$2,000, or jailed up to six months, or both.

To stem the rise of tempered decals, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Member of Parliament Zainal Sapari felt the the onus should be on private-hire companies to ensure that only those who have attained the PDVL could accept passengers through their driver’s account.

“The Government needs to make sure that Grab and Uber bear the responsibility to ensure all their drivers have the appropriate licence, so if you have a (tampered) decal, (you should get) no customers,” he said.

COMPLYING WITH THE NEW RULE

In response to TODAY’s queries, both ride-hailing firms Grab and Uber said drivers who still did not have their PDVLs as of July 1 would have their accounts frozen until they get their PDVL licences.

On Grab’s end, the number comprised no more than 5 per cent of its active drivers, while Uber was unable to share figures.

Grab has also introduced a team of “experienced enforcement officers” in July to conduct routine checks to ensure that its drivers display the decals properly and carry their PDVL or concession letter from the LTA, a Grab spokesperson said.

An Uber spokesperson said that they “decry” any attempts by their drivers to act illegally.

However, they “will not overstep the role of the LTA in enforcing the PDVL and other road traffic requirements”, and are “open” to working with the authorities to ensure continued compliance on the part of their drivers, the spokesperson added.