PUBLISHED ONDecember 22, 2024 4:30 AMByCandice CaiScalpers have been selling appointment dates for foreigners here to convert their driving licences for an average price of $350, Lianhe Zaobao reported on Sunday (Dec 22).
According to Zaobao, some individuals are believed to have exploited a loophole in the online system to book multiple appointment time slots, leading to a waiting time that has extended beyond six months.
The Traffic Police had announced in April the launch of an online appointment system from April 29, in a move towards the digitalisation of certain services.
Applications for the conversion of foreign driving licence are now processed via FormSG, and the entire process is expected to take about six weeks.
However, one user of the service told Zaobao that when he tried to convert his driving licence some time back, the closest appointment time he could get was for May 2025.
The programmer, surnamed Cai, stated: "A friend later told me that many scalpers have been illegally reselling appointment slots online, and you can book a time slot at a closer date for $400."
According to Zaobao, the BookingSG link to reserve the appointment slots was accessible to anyone without the need to fill up their profile on FormSG and verifying if they had passed their basic theory test.
Zaobao added that some sellers online had openly claimed that once the profile details are changed, customers will receive a notification of the appointment, even offering a "money back guarantee" if the process failed.
A Zaobao reporter had also contacted a scalper on the pretense of wanting to book a time slot.
When the reporter expressed concerns over the procedure, the scalper reassured the reporter that the name of the appointment-holder can be changed and there will be no discrepancy.
Zaobao also stated that they'd reached out to the Singapore Police Force last month on Nov 29 and received a reply on Saturday (Dec 21) stating that the issue has since been rectified.
In a response to queries by AsiaOne, an SPF spokesperson stated on Sunday that they are aware of the issue and have since "tightened up the system".
They stated that for the foreign driving licence conversion service, the Traffic Police have since switched from mobile phone number to SingPass authentication.
"The booking is non-transferrable, and the identity of the applicant will be verified during the appointment. Applicants whose particulars do not match those submitted will not be served," said the spokesperson.
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candicecai@asiaone.com
