Fined at roadblock? Man debunks rumours, reveals real reason for summons

From getting caught at a roadblock to getting fined for cycling, all it took was one photo of a summons for the rumour mills to start churning.

The truth? The summons was issued to a man who failed to maintain safe distancing at a bubble tea shop in Tiong Bahru Plaza on April 12, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

The unidentified 30-year-old had bumped into a friend at the shop and struck up a conversation, forgetting to maintain a safe distance of 1m, he told the Chinese daily.

An enforcement officer from Enterprise Singapore spotted the pair and issued summonses to them, slapping them with a $300 fine each.

Admitting that he had indeed breached safe-distancing guidelines, the man said that he was willing to accept the punishment doled out to him.

However, the matter didn't end there.

A photo of his summons surfaced on the internet, quickly becoming gossip fodder and fuelling several fictional accounts.

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One person claimed that the man was fined for giving a friend a ride home — the pair were stopped at a roadblock and written up as the addresses on their identification cards did not match.

In a statement posted to Facebook yesterday (April 13), the police clarified that they have not conducted roadblocks specifically to enforce safe-distancing measures.

Roadblocks are typically set up to detect offences such as drink-driving.

So far, they have not punished any motorists for flouting safe-distancing measures at a roadblock, they said.

However, the police may take enforcement action if they come across road users breaking the rules.

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Another version of the story said that the man was fined after visiting a food court without a mask on.

While the Ministry of Health has advised the public to wear masks while they are out and in close contact with others, it is currently not an offence.

However, those not wearing masks may be denied entry to supermarkets, convenience stores, malls, pharmacies and wet markets.

Others purported that the man had been cycling with more than one family member.

This is allowed under the current circuit breaker measures, MP Alex Yam said in a Facebook post yesterday (April 13).

Claiming ignorance, the man said he had no idea how the photo of the summons started circulating online.

The stories spreading online are all "fake news", he added, urging members of the public not to believe them.

In response to confusion over what the public can or cannot do during the circuit breaker period, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli wrote on Facebook: "The general rule of thumb is to ask ourselves: do I need to do this? If it is not urgent or a necessity, you are strongly advised to stay home." 

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Masagos announced on April 11 that first-time offenders caught flouting circuit breaker measures would be fined instead of receiving a warning from April 12.

The stiffer penalty was put in place after enforcement officers reported that people were not taking the measures seriously.

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kimberlylim@asiaone.com