Patriotic driver who made headlines for elaborately-decorated car gets pulled over by traffic police

Everyone celebrates National Day differently, and some like to kick it off with a bang. But one person might have taken it way too literally.

An elaborately-decorated vehicle was pulled over by the traffic police after it appeared to have been involved in an incident with a motorcycle along Orchard Road, according to a Facebook post by SG Road Vigilante on Aug 6.

Covered in decorative Singapore-themed stickers, Singapore flags and topped with a giant red-and-white birthday cake, this particular car is hard to miss.

In the photo posted, the colourful vehicle and its driver, dressed in an equally festive outfit, can be seen standing by the car in Orchard. 

Another series of photos shows the driver pulled over by a pair of Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers along a highway, although it is not clear when these were taken.

And it seems the mysterious driver is none other than Henry Ho, who was featured in The Straits Times, ironically on the same day the video was posted, for his patriotic efforts. 

According to the newspaper, the Gojek driver has been decorating his car in the month leading up to National Day for the last 10 years, in a bid to spread joy amongst his passengers and other road users. He's spent between $1,000 and $1,500 this year for his efforts.

His Toyota is plastered with self-made National Day-themed stickers as well as the centre-piece — a birthday cake model on the hood of his car.

Gojek told AsiaOne that the incident in the Facebook video actually took place on July 30, adding that all affected parties were unharmed. 

"The safety and well-being of our drivers and customers are our utmost concern. We are aware of the incident and we have reached out to the driver-partner to understand the matter and offer our assistance," said a spokesperson.

While some netizens were tickled by Ho's antics, for others, the excessive car decals and stickers are a cause for concern.

Even though Ho said in his interview with The Straits Times that he made sure to stick them in a way that didn't obscure his vision, it can be seen in footage that the rear window is almost completely covered.

Perhaps it's safe to say netizens' concerns aren't completely unwarranted.

AsiaOne has reached out to the traffic police and LTA for more information.

editor@asiaone.com

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