Police warn organisers of convoy gatherings to abandon plans; 5 men under investigation

SINGAPORE — The police said on Monday (May 2) they are aware of planned gatherings for vehicles to travel in a convoy at various locations over the long weekend, warning that doing so is an offence that could land the organisers in jail.

In a statement, the police said they are investigating two incidents last week in which vehicles were driven in a convoy. The authorities are also looking into a third incident involving a gathering of car enthusiasts at an open air carpark in Kallang.

Five men, aged between 22 and 26, have been identified as organisers of the convoy events, though the police did not reveal their names.

They are now under investigation for “conducting an event on the road or part thereof without a permit”, the police said.

“The police would like to remind the public that conducting an event on any road or part thereof without a police permit is illegal in Singapore and we will not hesitate to take firm action against those who choose to flout our laws,” they said.

Under the Road Traffic Act, any person convicted of conducting any event on any road could be fined S$1,000 or jailed up to three months, or both. Repeat offenders are liable for double the punishment — a S$2,000 fine or up to six months’ jail, or both.

CONVOYS

The police's statement came after several videos went viral on social media, and showed more than a dozen large vehicles honking and flashing their hazard lights while driving down a stretch of road.

Based on the footage, a convoy of vehicles comprising prime mover trucks, minibuses, trucks and other vehicles had travelled along Changi Road towards Geylang Road on April 24, purportedly to celebrate the “double happiness” of Hari Raya and the further relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

Chinese digital news portal 8World reported that the organisers were Team Hiroshima Singapore, a local truckers group.

A 24-year-old dump truck driver identified only as Nas told the news outlet that the group began planning the event after learning that the annual Ramadan bazaar at Geylang Serai was set to return after a two-year hiatus.

On Monday, the police said they have identified three of the five men, aged between 22 and 26 years old, as organisers of this event.

Last Saturday, a convoy of motorcycles were spotted by traffic authorities travelling along Changi Road towards Geylang Road. 

The remaining two men, aged 22 and 23, have been identified by the police as this convoy's organisers. 

According to the police, the convoy were spotted by officers from the traffic police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) who were conducting a joint enforcement operating against traffic and illegal vehicle modification offences.

A summons was issued by the traffic police for an unapproved type of protective helmet. LTA also detected 13 illegal modification offences, including improper lighting systems, modified exhaust systems and use of non-compliant tinted films.

CAR ENTHUSIASTS MEET

In a third incident, the police said they responded to a car meetup at the open carpark outside sports store Decathlon’s Kallang outlet last Friday.

Videos circulating on social media platform TikTok showed cars of various makes, including several apparently modified ones, being driven around the car park. Dozens of young automotive fans can be seen cheering on as drivers revved their engines.

Without giving details, the police said that they are “looking into the matter”.

The organisers, car enthusiast group Basement 1, said on Facebook after the event that the authorities had given the green light for the event to proceed. 

The group, which has about 250 followers on Facebook and 4,000 on Instagram, posts car photography and sells merchandise on its website.

“It was very clear that no rules were being broken to organise a meet,” the group wrote last Saturday. 

“However, there were people being irresponsible at the end of the meet (which we do not condone) and we sadly could not control them,” it said, without elaborating. “Therefore, law enforcement had to take action.”

The group said that it wants to host more such events in the future, but added: “In order to continue making these events possible, we must be cooperative and responsible to make it a safe and inviting environment for all.”