2 M'sians Had To Pay RM10K As They Were Exiting Singapore Due To An Autopass Card Error
They were told to pay the fee or their vehicle would be impounded.
By Celine Low — 10 Jan 2024, 05:49 PM
Two Malaysians took to social media to share about how they had to pay RM10,000 on their drive back from Singapore
In December 2023, Wei Jun and Daniel posted a reel on their Instagram account @the.timestamps to express their frustrations.
The two had traveled to Singapore by car, and as they were leaving the island-country, they encountered an issue with their Autopass Card, which is a stored-value smart card that all foreign motorists are required to have to enter Singapore.
After checking with the checkpoint's Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers, the two men were surprised to learn that their vehicle was recorded as not having exited Singapore for four months, which was the last time the two had visited the country.
This amounted to an outstanding fee of SGD2,700 (about RM10,000).
All foreign-registered vehicles are charged SGD35 (about RM122) for cars and SGD4 (RM14) for motorcycles for every day spent in Singapore, according to the LTA.
The two had asked the LTA to check with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to verify that they had not been in the country for that long.
However, the two of them were told that that LTA and ICA were "completely separate" departments and do not share the same database.
After arguing with the authorities for two hours over the issue, they decided to pay the fee, to avoid having their vehicle impounded.
The two shared the incident on social media in hopes of informing others and spreading awareness.
Wei Jun and Daniel have submitted an appeal to the LTA, to which they have since received a response, telling them that an investigation would be carried out, reported Today Online.
For those who are unfamiliar, an Autopass Card serves as an electronic vehicle entry permit (VEP), documenting your vehicle's entry into Singapore
The card is also used to pay all entry and exit fees when your vehicle is brought out of Singapore.
Motorists are required to insert their Autopass Card into card readers installed at the immigration booths when they're about to exit the country.
Wei Jun and Daniel also advised viewers to check with the LTA immediately if any error messages appear.
So, what are the error messages you should look out for?
If you encounter any messages like the examples shown above, you need to drive to the VEP/Toll office at the checkpoints and ask for help.
It is likely that the transaction from your Autopass Card was not successful.
The LTA also cautions against using another booth to insert your card as it may incur more charges or fines upon your next visit.
According to this step-by-step guide to use the Autopass Card, the screen should display the following details when leaving the country:
- The VEP fees
- Tolls
- Reciprocal Road Charge
- Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) fees (if any)
This indicates that you have successfully paid for the fees.
A netizen shared that drivers are still allowed to exit the country even if they do not insert their Autopass Card into the machines at the immigration booths
"So, [you] always need to remember, [you] need to see the machine [displaying] 'Your vehicle exit has been recorded'," they said.
