A viral video showing an Land Transport Authority (LTA) engineer in a heated exchange with a construction worker has led to the engineer being counseled. The incident happened at a worksite in Tanah Merah and was widely shared online, drawing significant public attention and criticism.
The video, which was first uploaded on the Singapore Road Vigilante Facebook page on August 24, quickly made the rounds. Within a single day, it had more than 147,000 views and a wave of comments.
The footage shows an engineer, easily identified by his white safety helmet, harshly questioning a worker in a yellow helmet. At worksites, these helmet colors are a clear sign of rank: white for managers, engineers, and other site staff, and yellow for general workers. The engineer was seen grilling the worker on his driving qualifications and what he was taught about safety.
LTA engineer’s inappropriate behaviour towards the worker
The video shows the engineer seemingly hitting the worker on the head with what appears to be his driver’s license before throwing the card on the ground. He also raised his voice, demanding to know if the worker’s driving school had taught him to buckle up.
LTA’s response
The LTA quickly acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post on August 25. While they noted the engineer was addressing safety issues, they made it clear that his conduct was unacceptable.
In their post, the LTA stated that while the engineer was addressing safety lapses at the worksite, the way he did so was inappropriate. They added that such behaviour is not condoned.
LTA also mentioned that the engineer has since been counseled and has expressed regret for his actions, apologizing to the worker involved. The authority emphasized that it is taking the matter seriously and will continue to reinforce the need for its staff to act with respect and professionalism, especially when upholding safety standards.
