A Singaporean driver Rich Sng posted a complaint on Facebook saying he had been issued a fine of S$50 after he forgot to pay the S$3.20 toll charge at Tuas Checkpoint when heading across the border to Johor Bahru.

What are toll charges?

Toll charges are calculated on a per trip basis and differ depending on the type of vehicle driven.

What happened?

According to Sng, a Certis Cisco officer was hiding behind a road sign apparently to catch out anyone who is witnessed to have violated any rules.

Sng said the officer immediately approached his group regarding the toll fee, and even though they attempted to explain themselves, they were demanded to pay a fine.

The post also alleges "double standards" in which the gates could open for the cars to go through despite not paying a fine, and alleging that the officers were issuing fines as a "trap to collect revenue".

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This is the Facebook post in question.

Please SHARE to avoid getting fined at TUAS checkpoint for forgetting to pay your gantry toll. No second chance. Official trap.

THE INCIDENT:

Today while going to JB using Tuas Checkpoint, second link, we forgot to pay for the $3.20 toll charges using our cashcard by honest mistake because it slip our mind. However the toll gantry open letting us exit to a hiding Certis Cisco officer behind the sign.

THE MODUS OPERANDI:

He immediately asked us if we paid the toll charges and we apologized immediately and said it was a slip of mind. However he demanded that we make a fine payment of $50 plus the $3.20 we short paid without any leniency or warning.

DOUBLE STANDARDS:

We asked the officer in charge why the system allows the gantry to open and let cars to go through without paying the toll. He said the system belongs to ICA and not LTA. Is system integration so difficult as Woodlands and Johor Checkpoints’ gantry does not open unless you pay toll charges.

IT IS A TRAP:

It is very obvious the Certis Cisco officer is hiding. He knows immediately that we forgot to pay while the ICA officer doesn’t. Its a trap to collect revenue obviously. We asked the officer, and he replied that he is not hiding, he just happens to be standing there. BS?

NO INTENTION TO IMPROVE:

We gave feedback to integrate the system to open the gantry after paying tolls and the officer ask us to feedback to their bosses ourselves as they cannot give feedback as their bosses will think they are trying to skive or change the system. They also said there has been many complaints of this issue, meaning to say nothing has changed. Isn’t feedback from the ground the most important for improvement? Why Singapore Certis Cisco and LTA doesn’t improve systems that don’t benefit themselves. If you cannot guard the well being of your staffs, how can you guard the well being of the citizens, and how do you make Singapore a better place for us?

This is not an issue of money but an issue of trust. Without a trustworthy system in a first world country, setting up traps like this to make a quick buck, it just is not right. With mindless soldiers in the front end following instructions blindly will cause the downfall of the organization and our future. Shame!

Some netizens echoed similar sentiments:

LTA responds

Mothership.sg contacted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for comment.

A LTA spokesperson responded with the following statement:

It is the responsibility of each motorist – driving either a Singapore-registered or a foreign registered vehicle –to pay all required tolls and fees using the payment machines located outside the immigration booths at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.

To remind motorists of the tolls and fees payable, signs are placed at prominent locations along the way to the checkpoints and in front of every immigration booth (next to the card reader). Motorists may refer to the onemotoring website for more information on driving in and out of Singapore.

Since 1 August 2016, motorists who evade the tolls and fees are required to pay a composition sum of S$50, while repeat offenders have to pay S$100.  Our officers, including the officer highlighted in this case, are deployed to enforce against offences, including non-payment of tolls and fees, illegible vehicle number plates as well as vehicles which have been or are intended to be used for an unlawful purpose or in an unlawful manner.

LTA is also studying the use of cameras, sensors and data analytics to facilitate enforcement efforts.

With regards to the officer standing behind the sign, it is understood that the officer was trying to avoid obscuring the information printed on it.

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Top image adapted via Rich Sng's Facebook's post