Certis 'strongly refutes' driver's claim that he was given summons for 'brief stop' to help ill mum
A driver expressed disappointment in a Certis officer for issuing him a summons for making a supposedly 'brief stop' on a zebra crossing instead of showing compassion.
However, Certis told Stomp that it "strongly refutes" the driver's version of events.
Stomper B said the incident occurred at the zebra crossing at Block 120 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 on Oct 9, at around 11.59am.
He recounted: "I recently had a disappointing experience with a Certis officer who left a sour taste. I was in a rush to fetch my mother, who uses a wheelchair, from dialysis with the assistance of my helper.
"Due to the rain, I made a brief stop at a zebra crossing with a shelter, under light traffic conditions.
"I understand that the location was not ideal, but the situation demanded it, and it was not an act of convenience. The reality is that there are limited options for people with disabilities in the area.
"When we returned with my mother, the officer issued a ticket despite my explanation, showing a lack of understanding."
Ben, who shared a photo of his helper pushing his mother in a wheelchair, added: "I do not dispute the need for rules, but in situations like this, compassion should take precedence. The officer's strict adherence to procedure without considering the circumstances was disheartening.
"I hope that in the future, enforcement will be more considerate and humane, particularly in situations involving caregiving. Additional training for officers on empathy and situational awareness would be beneficial."
B also posted about the incident on TikTok, along with the title: "Is meeting the quota more important??"
In response to a Stomp query, a Certis spokesperson said on Oct 10: "Certis is aware of, and strongly refutes, the account of events made on the TikTok post.
"Based on footage retrieved from the body-worn camera of our enforcement officer, the officer was carrying out routine patrol duties when he observed an unattended car parked at the single white zig-zag line near the zebra-crossing.
"The driver later returned to his car and moved it onto the zebra-crossing to board his passengers. Both are controlled areas where parking or stopping are not permitted under any circumstance.
"Since the exact duration of parking could not be verified, our officer arrived at 11.59am to record the offence."
According to Certis, the driver returned to his car "minutes later" to move his car onto the zebra-crossing and "challenged the offence".
The spokesperson added: "Contrary to claims made in the social media post, the weather was clear with no rain.
"While we understand public concern about empathy in traffic enforcement, our officers are required to uphold road safety regulations and act in accordance with established protocols for the safety of all motorists and pedestrians."
However, B stands by his version of events.
He told Stomp: "It was drizzling (I have proof of this from my car camera, and you can see from the picture that the ground is wet), so I had to stop there to pick my mother up from the dialysis centre. Otherwise, how was I going to go over?
"I returned less than five minutes later and saw the officer at my car. I ran over and told him I was picking up my mother who was in a wheelchair, but he ignored me and carried on keying in the summons while standing in front of my car.
"From my picture, you can see that he is keying in the summons even though he saw us and knew what was going on.
"The summons was printed AFTER my mum got into the car.
"Yes, I do not dispute him doing his job. But shouldn't he have stopped issuing the summons when he saw us? He kept keying it in and saying, 'Sorry it's already been issued.'
"However, there was around three to four minutes from the time I explained things to him till the time he printed the summons."
