Police report made after elderly man on PMA tries to hit SMRT staff at Bugis station
SINGAPORE — A police report has been made following an altercation between an elderly man in a motorised wheelchair and an SMRT staff member at Bugis MRT station that was captured in a viral video.
The SMRT staff member had been doing his rounds at the station on 21 November when he advised the elderly man that the selling of items was not permitted on the station premises, said an SMRT spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday (17 December).
“An altercation subsequently occurred between the (personal mobility aid user) and our staff. A police report was made and we are assisting with their investigations,” said the spokesperson.
In the eight-second video that was posted on Facebook by user Steve Goh on 14 December, the elderly man is seen charging in his motorised wheelchair at the SMRT employee while trying to kick him.
As the employee backs away to avoid being hit, the elderly man then comes to a stop. He appears to fall out of his wheelchair’s seat and land on the floor.
Throughout the video, the elderly man is seen holding packets of tissue in his right hand. A sign bearing the message “Good day, I only need $10 for my daily meals. Please do not let me go hungry” is seen attached to his wheelchair.
The video has since been shared over 3,000 times, with many netizens making light of the incident.
In its statement, SMRT emphasised that any physical or verbal abuse against public transport staff would be reported to the authorities.
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