Everything you need to know about the shocking LTA officer’s fight in 60 sec

Last Updated on 2016-05-18 , 4:51 pm

By now, many of you would have seen the video of the fight between a LTA officer and an Uber driver. The Facebook post that started it all, with the video, has since been removed, so here’s a concise account of what happened based on what we know so far.

On Friday (27 November 2015) night, Amber Pek (as per her Facebook name) booked an Uber car to the taxi stand in Bugis Junction. Apparently, over there, only taxis are allowed to stop there. There’s a LTA officer, an unnamed 50-year-old, ushering all private cars to exit the area.

According to Ms Pek, her Uber driver drove in, and that was when the officer had a verbal confrontation with the driver. The Uber driver told the officer that his passenger requested for the car there, and the officer said this: “Tell your passenger to go to the other side! Can’t your passenger walk? You want to talk back now? I’m warning you and you want to talk back? I’m going to report you!”

The Uber driver still drove in, let the passenger in and went out of the car to give the officer his details. That was when the scuffle occurred. The video has been removed from Ms Pek’s Facebook profile, but here’s a copy of the video in YouTube.

Upon this, within hours, LTA suspended the officer, with this Facebook post announcing the suspension:

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) regrets this incident that involved an LTA enforcement officer earlier this evening at the Bugis Junction taxi stand. LTA takes a serious view of this incident and will not condone any acts of violence by our officers or outsourced officers. The enforcement officer involved in this incident has been suspended from all duties with immediate effect pending further investigations.

The LTA officer has since been arrested by the police. LTA has also rendered assistance to the Uber driver, including but not limited to his medical bill.

The Uber driver, 59-year-old Goh Kok Ling, recounted his experience with The Straits Times. He claimed that the officer initially wanted to give him a chance, but started taking pictures after that. He then sent his passenger to her destination as it was not too far away and when he felt giddy, he went to a police station and the officers there got an ambulance for him.

Here’s him showing his injury: