Management of Hillside condominium seeks damages after Gojek driver's car ends up in swimming pool
A Gojek spokesperson said the ride-hailing company was "speaking to the customer and the driver-partner to resolve the issue and take the necessary action".
The driver of a white Honda Vezel drove into one of The Hillside condominium's swimming pools on Feb 28, 2023. (Photo: The Hillside)
SINGAPORE: The management of a condominium in Upper Bukit Timah is seeking legal advice to claim for property damage after a car veered off into a pedestrian pathway and ended up in one of its swimming pools.
In a press statement on Friday (Mar 3), The Hillside condominium said it will be writing to ride-hailing company Gojek to “verify if the driver is indeed a Gojek driver and to inform the company of (its) claim”.
THE INCIDENT
On Tuesday night, at about 9pm, a white Honda Vezel entered The Hillside condominium through the main gate and drove straight up towards Block 341 when it “should have turned right at the first intersection”, the statement read.
The driver was an elderly man and his passenger was an elderly woman that was headed to Block 343 to visit her family.
After reaching the end of the road, which leads to the basement carpark, "the driver stopped his car for a few seconds before veering right into a pedestrian pathway and eventually driving into one of the swimming pools”, the statement added.
“CCTV footage revealed that the driver hit some potted plants to the left of the pathway’s entrance, reversed, then moved forward again to hit some plants on the right side of the pathway.
“He then reversed again and drove slowly into the pathway.”
The pathway leads to the clubhouse entrance and the open recreation area next to the condominium's swimming pools, comprising an adult pool, a wading pool and what the statement described as a jacuzzi pool.
The driver drove on for another five seconds on the pathway before stopping in front of the clubhouse, the statement said.
A condominium security guard named Maniam approached the man, telling him to reverse his car, but his instructions were ignored.
“CCTV footage shows that the driver continued forward and then turned right into the wading pool.”
Close-circuit television footage showed the driver "running out" of the car, while the passenger exited the vehicle by herself.
“When the driver was waiting at the clubhouse, the driver told (another) security guard Ragu that he is a Gojek ride-hailing driver,” the statement added.
“Ragu then called the police and the police arrived shortly after.”
The Hillside said it has now added new potted plants to “partially block the pathway”, which the driver had veered into.
“This pathway is wide because it serves as an emergency fire engine access,” it added.
In response to CNA queries, a Gojek spokesperson said: "We have looked into this case and are speaking to the customer and the driver-partner to resolve the issue and take the necessary action."
"The safety and well-being of our customers and driver-partners is our utmost concern, and we do not condone any behaviour that violates our policies. Our policies around safety and conduct are clearly emphasised during the driver-partner onboarding process.
"We are committed to providing a safe and positive experience for everyone on our platform, and will continue to work hard to strengthen training and education for our driver-partners."
