Man, 30, to be charged after allegedly smashing a taxi in Chua Chu Kang over a traffic dispute

SINGAPORE — A 30-year-old man will be charged on Thursday (Oct 14) with committing a rash act after he allegedly smashed a taxi at a Housing and Development Board block in Chua Chu Kang.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the police said that they were alerted to a case of a man smashing a taxi at Block 804B Keat Hong Close at around 6.10pm on Oct 10.

Preliminary investigations showed that he had allegedly confronted the taxi driver over a traffic dispute.

“During the confrontation, the man allegedly used his motorcycle helmet to hit the taxi, resulting in damages to the vehicle,” the police said.

“The driver and the passengers on board the taxi, including a baby, were unhurt.”

Different video clips of the purported incident have since made the rounds on social media.

The videos show a man shouting vulgarities at the driver of a yellow ComfortDelGro taxi while using what looks like a motorcycle helmet to repeatedly hit the vehicle’s exterior.

The clips also show both mirrors of the taxi to be smashed. One part of the video was recorded from within the taxi, where a male passenger could be heard using his phone to call for help.

The police said that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday by officers from the Jurong Police Division.

He is also being investigated for mischief under Section 426 of the Penal Code, using threatening behaviour under Section 3(2) of the Protection from Harassment Act, and failing to wear a mask in a public place under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.

If found guilty of committing a rash act, the man could be jailed up to six months or fined up to S$2,500, or both.

If found guilty of mischief, he could be jailed up to two years or fined.

And if convicted of using threatening behaviour, he could be fined up to S$5,000.

“The police have zero tolerance towards such acts of violence and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law,” they said.

In response to TODAY’s queries, Ms Tammy Tan, group chief branding and communications officer for ComfortDelGro, said that the transport company’s customer contact centre had received a call for assistance from the taxi driver at around 6.15pm on Oct 10.

The police arrived at the scene soon after the call, she said.

“We are thankful that both our driver and the passengers onboard were uninjured although we have no doubt that it had been a traumatic experience.

“We have reached out to them to check on their well-being,” Ms Tan said, adding that the company will be assisting the police with their investigations.