Certis has denied claims by a motorist that he was unfairly issued a traffic summons by one of its officers, after he left his car parked at a zebra crossing to fetch his wheelchair-bound mother.
On Oct 9, TikTok user lattesweetheart posted a photo of a car parked at a zebra crossing, with an enforcement officer standing nearby.
The accompanying caption asked pointedly: “Is meeting the quota more important?”
In the post, the driver claimed to have made a brief stop at a zebra crossing in the rain, as he was rushing to pick up his mother from her dialysis treatment.
“I understand that the location was not ideal, but the situation demanded it, and it was not an act of convenience,” the driver wrote, citing limited options for pick-up points in the area.
Upon returning, the driver was issued a ticket by a Certis officer, despite his efforts to explain the situation.
“I hope that in the future, enforcement will be more considerate and humane, particularly in situations involving caregiving,” the motorist wrote, calling the officer’s actions “disheartening” and showing “a lack of understanding”.
The New Paper has reached out to lattesweetheart for comment.
Certis “strongly refutes” motorist’s claims
In response to TNP’s queries, Certis confirmed that it was aware of the incident, and said it “strongly refutes” the motorist’s claims.
Footage retrieved from the officer’s body-worn camera revealed that the unattended car was first parked at the single white zig-zag line near the zebra crossing. The driver subsequently moved his vehicle onto the zebra crossing to pick up passengers.
“Both are controlled areas where parking or stopping are not permitted,” said a Certis spokesperson.
When the officer arrived to record the offence, the driver challenged it. The spokesperson added that it was not raining that day, contrary to the claims made in the post.
“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,” said the spokesperson.
Netizens back officer
The post had garnered over 118,100 views and 300 comments at press time.
Several commenters said that the driver’s actions were “dangerous”, calling for a need to “consider the road users”, while some pointed out that there was a temporary pick-up point further along the road.
Others urged the original poster to make an appeal.
“Just make an appeal. They are just doing their job,” one netizen said.
Another agreed: “It’s not the officer’s job to decide whether he can waive the non-adherence.”
