Carpooling Service to Resume from 10 Aug But Those From Telegram Groups Are Still Banned

Now that National Day is round the corner and the gahmen is reopening Singapore, many things are allowed once again, including carpooling and commercial car passenger limits.

Two-Passenger Limit for Taxis and Private-hire Cars to be Lifted

In light of Singapore’s reopening, the initial two-passenger limit will be lifted from 10 August 2021. Taxis and private hire cars can now fetch up to five passengers.

Of course, all passengers must have their mask-on at all times. Drivers have the right to decline passengers who refuse to wear a mask.

Carpooling Service to Resume But Those From Telegram Groups Are Still Banned

From 10 August 2021, legal and paid carpooling services such as GrabHitch and RydePool can also be resumed as well.

If you are carpooling your friends, families, or colleagues for free, that is also allowed but do note that you can only fetch four other passengers excluding the driver.

As expected, illegal carpooling services like informal arrangement through Telegram groups is not allowed.

What is Telegram Groups Carpooling Service?

If you are confused about why is a messaging app offering carpooling services, well it is not. The people who created the public groups in this messaging app are providing the platform, and these groups are illegal.

So, why are people still continuing the illegal act despite knowing that they are illegal?

Because people have vices and they also enjoy cheap or even free rides.

Despite the warnings from Land Transport Authority (LTA), there are still various offers in Telegram groups like SG Hitch like this:

And the number of such messages is only increasing by the second.

Reader: What is the big deal? Free rides for some and a side income for others. Seemed like a win-win situation.  

Well, the problem is the contact tracing part. Unlike the legal private-hired cars or taxis, the drivers from these telegram groups do not have a specific guideline they have to follow. It is all up to their moral compass.

That means if the passenger refuses to wear a mask and the driver is alright with their arrangement, he or she will be maskless in the confined space. That not only increase the exposure rate but destroy the authorities’ efforts of reducing the infections as well.

Additionally, there is a lack of requirement for contact tracing when it comes to these illegal carpooling services.

Unless the driver makes the additional effort of recording every passenger’s personal data or somehow create a safe entry code like in the taxis, contact tracing is challenging.

Thus, the easier and more controllable method to such madness is to just make these groups illegal.

Read Also: 

• 9 Facts to Know About S’pore’s Four-Step Reopening for Us to Live With COVID-19
• The Reason Why the Possible Exposure Alert in TraceTogether is Now Removed

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