Massive jams on AYE & CTE on early Saturday morning, PHV drivers say earnings 'pass away'

Traffic jams formed along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and Central Expressway (CTE) in the early hours of Saturday, Dec. 21.

Photos and videos showing the extent of the jams were posted online.

Those affected included those travelling along the expressways, as well as those living close to the roads that experienced heavy traffic.

They lamented the loud honking sounds heard.

One Facebook user, who goes by Jane Lau, posted at 5:40am that the drivers had been honking since 4am.

Videos posted on social media and sent in to Mothership showed traffic coming to a crawl as a number of lanes along the CTE were off-limits.

At least one lane along the AYE was closed to traffic.

Based on online footage, there appeared to be police operations on the expressways at the time.

High taxi fares, delayed arrivals

In the comments sections, road users bemoaned the heavy jams.

One said he had been stuck in traffic since 3:30am and only reached home at 6:03am.

Others chimed in that taxi drivers caught in the jams were plying their trade even as they waited and were assured earnings.

"Huat la haha," one driver said, while posting a screenshot of his S$84.24 earnings.

Private-hire vehicle (PHV) drivers who receive fixed fare earnings, on the other hand, would have been badly hit as it limited the number of trips they can make in one night.

Some said their earnings "passed away", meaning they had taken a hit financially.

Top image from Ajeet Antonino Mansukhani/Facebook and Jorge Tay/Facebook