An enterprising youth managed to sneak in on a parked chartered 45-seater bus at Woodlands Industrial estate, taking it on a joyride across Singapore and leading the bus' driver on a merry chase for over half an hour last Sunday.
By the time AZ Bus driver Francis Toh realised that his bus was not where he last left it, 16-year-old Muhammad Salahuddin Omar was already ripping it up at Jurong East. With help from his colleagues, the 55-year-old bus driver managed to track down his bus using a the Global Positioning System.
Speaking to The New Paper, Toh noted that the teen was exceptionally capable with bus driving despite his age and inexperience, maneuvering around traffic deftly with proper lane-changing and turning procedures. The thief started his journey at 9am from Woodlands, driving to Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, East Coast Park, Toa Payoh, Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay before finally getting shut down at Bukit Batok Central at 3.42pm.
He joyride came to a grinding halt at a bus stop in Bukit Batok Central, where the bus was trapped between two cars driven by Toh and his supervisor. The teen tried to escape from the bus but was caught and detained by Toh while the police arrived soon after.
Astonishingly, the teen managed to rack up 155km in driving distance, injuring none throughout his merry jaunt. Even more amazing is the fact that he is hearing impaired.
He was charged with stealing the bus, driving under the age of 18 and driving without insurance. Though sign language interpreter, he indicated that he wished to plead guilty to the charges. The case will be brought up in court again on April 7.
Photo: Shin Min Daily News
An enterprising youth managed to sneak in on a parked chartered 45-seater bus at Woodlands Industrial estate, taking it on a joyride across Singapore and leading the bus' driver on a merry chase for over half an hour last Sunday.
By the time AZ Bus driver Francis Toh realised that his bus was not where he last left it, 16-year-old Muhammad Salahuddin Omar was already ripping it up at Jurong East. With help from his colleagues, the 55-year-old bus driver managed to track down his bus using a the Global Positioning System.
Speaking to The New Paper, Toh noted that the teen was exceptionally capable with bus driving despite his age and inexperience, maneuvering around traffic deftly with proper lane-changing and turning procedures. The thief started his journey at 9am from Woodlands, driving to Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, East Coast Park, Toa Payoh, Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay before finally getting shut down at Bukit Batok Central at 3.42pm.
He joyride came to a grinding halt at a bus stop in Bukit Batok Central, where the bus was trapped between two cars driven by Toh and his supervisor. The teen tried to escape from the bus but was caught and detained by Toh while the police arrived soon after.
Astonishingly, the teen managed to rack up 155km in driving distance, injuring none throughout his merry jaunt. Even more amazing is the fact that he is hearing impaired.
He was charged with stealing the bus, driving under the age of 18 and driving without insurance. Though sign language interpreter, he indicated that he wished to plead guilty to the charges. The case will be brought up in court again on April 7.
Photo: Shin Min Daily News