SINGAPORE, March 3 — A rainy evening got even wetter for one Gojek driver and his passenger, after the former drove his sports utility vehicle into a condominium swimming pool at Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Described by netizens as “carpooling gone wrong”, the condo’s management is now seeking legal advice on property damage, the condo’s spokesperson said today.
They added that the driver had claimed to be working under Gojek, and Gojek has confirmed with TODAY that this is the case.
At about 9pm on Tuesday, a white Honda Vezel had entered a swimming pool at The Hillside condo during a heavy rain, with its front wheels and bonnet partially submerged while most of its chassis remained at the pool’s edge.
According to the condo management, both the driver and the passenger did not appear hurt in the incident.
Photos and videos later circulated on TikTok and Facebook, with netizens questioning the driver’s abilities, with some commenting as a joke that the driver wanted to wash the car.
In a statement to the media on Friday, the condominium’s management said the driver, who is an elderly man, was also ferrying an elderly female passenger when the car entered the swimming pool.
“We are now seeking legal advice to claim for property damage that the car has caused and will also be writing to Gojek to verify if the driver is indeed a Gojek driver and to inform the company of our claim,” said the spokesperson.
How it happened
Giving a blow-by-blow account of how the incident occurred, the condo management’s spokesman said the passenger had intended to visit her family at one of the blocks at the condo, but the driver had driven in an incorrect direction within the condominium compound.
The driver then repeatedly hit some plants along the entrance to a pedestrian pathway, before driving onto a pathway that leads to the clubhouse entrance and the open recreation area next to the swimming pools, said the spokesperson.
“This pathway is wide because it serves as an emergency fire engine access,” he added.
The driver then drove for another five seconds on the pathway before stopping in front of the condominium clubhouse. Following this, a security guard walked towards the car and spoke to the driver.
“Maniam (the security guard) said that he told the driver to reverse his car but the driver ignored him,” said the spokesperson.
“Closed circuit television video shows that the driver continued forward and then turned right into the wading pool.”
He said that although it was raining heavily, the lights at the clubhouse and the swimming pools were turned on.
Shortly after the car entered the pool, the driver was seen running out of the car, the condo management said. About 25 seconds later, the passenger exited the car on her own.
“When the driver was waiting at the clubhouse, the driver told security guard Ragu that he is a Gojek ride-hailing driver,” said the spokesperson.
“Ragu then called the police and the police arrived shortly after.”
Responding to questions from TODAY, a Gojek spokesperson said: “We have looked into this case and are speaking to the customer and the driver-partner to resolve the issue and take the necessary action.”
The spokesperson added that the safety and well-being of its customers and driver-partners is “our utmost concern”, and that the firm does not condone any behaviour that violates its policies around safety and conduct.
Such policies are “clearly emphasised during the driver-partner onboarding process”.
“We are committed to providing a safe and positive experience for everyone on our platform, and will continue to work hard to strengthen training and education for our driver-partners.”
According to the driver services agreement on Gojek’s website, driver-partners have to maintain a valid policy of liability insurance when operating their vehicle while on the job, to cover any anticipated losses relating to them, their passengers, their vehicle and any third parties.
The agreement states that “to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law”, Gojek shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages, as well as personal injury or property damage. — TODAY
