Cabby begs for mercy after being fined $200 by NEA for smoking in his taxi

SINGAPORE - The taxi driver kneeling and begging for mercy in a widely circulated photo was fined $200 for smoking in his taxi.

The fine was issued to him on the spot by National Environment Agency (NEA) officers, the agency said on Friday (Oct 4).

The NEA said that its officers caught the taxi driver smoking on Thursday.

"On Oct 3, 2019, at about 12.30pm, a male driver was caught smoking in a ComfortDelGro taxi with the windows wound down along Mount Elizabeth Road.

"The officers notified the driver of the offence before issuing him a ticket of $200 for smoking in a public service vehicle."

Under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act, anyone caught smoking in a prohibited place or a public service vehicle may face a composition fine of $200, or up to the maximum court fine of $1,000, the NEA warned.

In the widely circulated photo, the male taxi driver was seen on his knees begging two officers who were wearing Certis Cisco officers' caps.

Both NEA and Certis Cisco declined to say how the officers handled the situation.

The Straits Times has contacted ComfortDelgro for more information.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.