Tag: Singapore

Paterson Road Closed Due To Oil Spillage

Traffic Police is looking into the cause of an oil spillage that occurred early Thursday morning along Paterson Road, police said in a statement.

A stretch of Paterson Road outside ION Orchard, towards River Valley Road is now closed to all motorists except authorised vehicles. Paterson Road towards Scotts Road have been converted into two-way traffic to ease traffic congestion. An earlier statement from the police said the stretch of road has been closed since about 3.50am.

The affected stretch of road is currently being resurfaced and Traffic Police officers have been deployed to manage the traffic situation. Road users are advised to avoid the following roads leading to Paterson Road: Scotts, Orchard and Tanglin roads. Traffic delays are expected on these roads.

At about 10am, workers were seen repaving the affected stretch of road. Bus services 5, 105 and 132 which normally pass through Paterson Road are also being diverted to use Orchard Road, Orchard Boulevard before continuing on to Grange Road.

An office worker who works at Shaw Centre told The Straits Times that the road closure has also caused a jam from Novena towards town.

“I left home at 8.35am and took bus 54, which usually takes 30 minutes to reach Far East. Today, it took an hour,” she said.

To facilitate road recovery works for an oil spillage, all five lanes at Paterson Road between the junction of Orchard Road and Orchard Boulevard, towards Paterson Hill are closed temporarily as this slippery stretch was not safe for use, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement. Public are advised to avoid these roads.

The lanes will be opened to motorists progressively, LTA said. All five lanes are expected to be opened to motorists by 5pm. LTA enforcement officers and engineers are on-site to help to expedite recovery works and traffic diversion.

Motorists who have any queries can contact the LTA hotline at 1800-CALL LTA. The public may also call the Traffic Police Information Hotline at 65470000 or stay tuned to radio and television broadcast for the latest updates concerning the road closure.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

January 15, 2015
No Deals For German Vandals To Have Charges Reduced

Two young German men facing flogging in Singapore for vandalising a train were unable to reach a deal Wednesday to reduce their charges, their lawyer said.

Christopher Bridges said a district court has yet to reply to his request to have the number of charges against Andreas Von Knorre and Elton Hinz, both 21, reduced.

Each of them faces three counts of trespassing and one of vandalism allegedly committed in November last year, but the lawyer wants state prosecutors to proceed on just one charge each of trespassing and vandalism.

Bridges, who attended a closed-door pre-trial conference with the prosecutors and the judge, said another meeting will take place on February 4.

“There has been no reply yet from the court. We might know more at the next pre-trial conference,” Bridges told reporters after the session.

The two Germans were accused of breaking into a suburban depot and spray-painting graffiti on the exterior of a metro train cabin last November. The depot is a restricted zone surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire.

The defence lawyer declined to disclose his instructions from his clients but Singapore media reports said both could plead guilty after a plea bargain.

The two men were extradited to Singapore by neighbouring Malaysia after they were arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as they were leaving for Australia.

For trespassing they face up to two years in jail, a fine of up to Sg$1,000 ($800), or both for each count.

For vandalism, they face up to three years in jail or a fine of up to Sg$2,000, and between three and eight strokes of a rattan cane — a punishment dating back to British colonial rule.

Both remain in remand at Changi Prison.

An older sister of Von Knorre’s who attended the hearing told AFP that she visited her brother twice in prison and he seemed to be in good condition.

“On behalf of my family, I would like to apologise to this country for what my brother did,” she said, requesting anonymity.

Singapore, a leading Asian financial hub, is well-known for its tough stance on crime.

The city-state’s vandalism laws became global news in 1994 when an American teenager, Michael Fay, was caned for damaging cars and public property despite appeals for clemency from the US government.

In 2010, Swiss expatriate Oliver Fricker was sentenced to seven months in jail and three strokes of the cane for vandalising a train at a depot in the city-state.

Caning entails being whipped with a rattan stick on the back of the thigh below the buttocks, which can split the skin and leave lasting scars.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

January 15, 2015
Canadian Road Rager Jason Blair Unger Charged In Court

Canadian Jason Blair Unger, 39, threw the bicycle he was riding on at Mr Woo Wing Onn’s car after he thought he was being honked at. This incident took place at Selegie Road on 17 October 2014.

For his road rage, Jason Blair Unger was charged in court with mischief on 14 January 2015 (Wednesday) and applied for an adjournment of the case to engage himself a lawyer.

Meanwhile his bail extension was approved and he is to attend court scheduled for 28 January 2015.

As a result of his actions, dents were caused to the vehicle’s bonnet with a total damage of $2,200.

Lucky for Mr Woo, his in-car camera caught the whole incident on tape and he subsequently posted the video on STOMP. Based on Mr Woo’s account, he was driving home when he honked at a taxi ahead for road hogging. However a cyclist (Jason Blair Unger) up head thought he was being honked at and flew into a rage resulting in the altercation.

For his actions, Jason Blair Unger could be jailed up to 2 years and receive a fine.

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

January 15, 2015
Frozen Yogurt Chain Llaollao To Be Investigated By Tripartite Aliance For Fair And Progressive Employment Practice

Frozen yogurt chain Llaollao has apologised to a local Punjabi woman who was reportedly turned away from a part-time position at an outlet because she could not speak Mandarin.

The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) is also investigating the incident for possibly violating employment guidelines, reported TODAY.

Karish Kaur related the experience via her Facebook page on 7 January, explaining how she was turned away during a walk-in interview at West Mall’s outlet after telling a manager she did not speak Mandarin.

“Why is it that the onus is now on me to learn a whole new language just so I am able to attain a part-time job at an F&B outlet?” she wrote. “Are we not taking into account the fact that this is a multiracial country and that (surprise surprise) there are people who do not speak Chinese?”

Llaollao posted an apology on its Facebook page on January 13, saying it was “deeply sorry for the insensitivity shown”.

Llaollao’s country manager Edwin Ferroa also personally apologised to Karish in an email on 11 January, adding that the West Mall franchisee will stop walk-in interviews for the time being in order to give staff more adequate training “to treat potential employees better”.

After conducting its own investigations, Llaollao told TODAY that the person who turned Karish away was not an employee, but a wife of one of the franchise owners. Llaollao’s management has since warned all franchisees not to allow unauthorised people into their kitchens.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

January 15, 2015
RM2.4 Million In Unpaid Traffic Fines From Singapore Motorists Recovered By Malaysian Traffic Police

Malaysian traffic police, in a six-day operation, collected more than RM2.4 million (S$900,000) in outstanding traffic fines from Singapore motorists.

The operation, conducted from Dec 27 to Jan 1, caught 13,529 drivers with outstanding fines near and at Johor Baru immigration checkpoints.

Johor Traffic Police Chief Baharudin Mat Taib told The Straits Times that more than 15,470 fines were paid during this period, with almost $500,000 paid in cash.

The rest of the fines were settled by credit card.

He added that Malaysian officers will continue to conduct such sting operations regularly.

“We will do this regularly. I would say to all drivers: We are not targeting Singaporeans. We will (conduct these operations) against all errant motorists, including Malaysians,” he said.

While Superintendent Baharudin would not confirm when the next sting operation would be, sources told The Straits Times that it would likely be conducted during the Chinese New Year period, when many Singapore vehicles head to Malaysia.

In total, Singapore vehicles account for 313,661 – or 37.4 per cent – of the unsettled traffic summonses issued to non-Malaysians from 2000 to 2013, according to the Malaysian police.

Many motorists with Singapore-registered cars who drive regularly into Malaysia told The Straits Times they were surprised when they were stopped at Malaysian police roadblocks.

Mr Steve Keh, 40, a Singapore permanent resident who lives in Taman Perling in Johor and drives into Singapore daily for work, found himself on New Year’s Eve facing 17 outstanding fines amounting to RM2,550.

For him, the fines – which were for offences such as speeding – dated back to 2013.

“Of course, we have to pay; they take your passport and don’t let you leave with your car if you don’t pay,” said Mr Keh, who works in the maritime industry.

Mr Francis Ng, a 55-year-old Singaporean who faced RM800 in fines, wanted a chance to explain himself and have a closer look at when and where the offences were committed.

Mr Ng, who lives in Bukit Indah in Johor and drives to Singapore three to four times a week, had five offences dating back to 2012.

“I don’t even remember some of the earlier offences. How do I know if it’s true?” he said.

Superintendent Baharudin rubbished allegations from motorists that some of these offences were bogus.

“We do not force people to pay their summonses without proof,” he said.

“My advice to Singaporeans is to check whether they have summonses at the traffic police station and to please pay.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

January 14, 2015