In Singapore, private transportation is expensive.

And since time is money, many people who drive have a tendency to floor the accelerator once in a while, as there is additional impetus to not let good road infrastructure that is already built go to waste.

And this is where the authorities step in.

More speed traps

Since mid-2016, the traffic police here have been using newer and better technology to catch those who break the speed limit along various roads in Singapore.

Average speed cameras, as well as mobile and fixed speed cameras have sprouted up at more locations all over the island.

At certain places, stealthy manned speed traps are also employed.

One such location where enforcement of speed limit is actively carried out is at Yishun Ave 1 at that stretch beside Orchid Country Club that is very tempting for speedsters.

Pedestrian not happy with enforcement

A video uploaded to Facebook on Jan. 10 showed a member of the public confronting an officer along this Yishun Ave 1 stretch by taking a video of the officer in action.

The officer was obscured behind a tree, with a video camera set to to supposedly record motorists who speed.

The officer wearing glasses, and who appears to be an outsourced personnel not belonging with the Singapore police, then whipped out his own camera phone, as he appeared to take a video of the member of the public.

The man taking the video of the officer can be heard asking after making a U-turn back to resume the confrontation: "How can like that?"

Talk about spy vs spy.

Why motorists unhappy?

People who drive in Singapore have been providing feedback to the authorities that it is not appreciated when enforcement officers who catch speedsters do not make themselves visible.

Here's an example of a feedback by a motorist from 2012:

This is so as the rationale has been to warn drivers of the presence of officers carrying out enforcement, so that in the event drivers do get caught, there is lesser chance of disputes when tickets are eventually issued.

Catching people who speed is actually not that easy previously.

Speed camera technology has improved significantly only recently.

As explained in Torque magazine:

In the early days, cops on police motorcycles had to follow, hopefully unnoticed, the speeding vehicle for a minimum specified distance before they could lock-in the speedometer reading as the register of proof.

It required the law enforcer to possess a certain level of judgment and experience to get things right.

In any case, it was near impossible to monitor a vehicle travelling at around 10km/h above the speed limit, especially if the velocity was constantly varying.

Practice is to inform motorists

The Singapore Police did write in mid-2016 when new equipment were employed to conduct enforcement operations:

Visible signs have also been put up along the roads to inform motorists when they are entering the camera zones where these operations may be conducted.

But it appears stealth is still a good way to catch motorists unawares.

Singapore Traffic Police Sneak 100 pic.twitter.com/4x7KvoSJkq

— Mothership.sg (@MothershipSG) November 26, 2018

Motorists are more likely to break a few rules when their guards are down, and if they feel they are not being actively watched.