On the advice of LTA in their response, I wrote to the Traffic Police (TP) asking what class of driving license I need to drive a motorcycle with sidecar.
Using the e-mail address giving to me by LTA, I wrote:
Hello,
As I could not find any information on the website, I’m hoping I can find some answers by e-mailing you.
I would like to know what kind of driving license a person needs to get to drive a motorcycle with a sidecar. I’ve no intention of driving a motorcycle without a sidecar.
Thank you
joanne
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so casual. By saying “the website” I meant the Singapore Police Force’ web site. Within a day, the ever-efficient TP sent me this reply:
Dear Ma’am,
I refer to your email of 14 Jun 06.
As the issue raised is under the purview of Land Transport Authority (LTA), please be informed that I have extended a copy of your email to LTA. The relevant officer will look into the matter and revert to you in due course.
Yours faithfully,
Ruby Tan/ Asst Service Quality Officer/ Service Quality Branch/ Traffic Police Department
cc: LTA – Preceding email for your attention and reply, please.
Poor LTA must be thoroughly confused. Although it might take them another 2 weeks to realise this.
By the way, this is the first time I’ve been called Ma’am on e-mail.
On the 15th June, I replied:
Dear Ruby,
I actually was advised by the LTA to email you (the Traffic Police) about driving license matters.
In my case, I only wish to drive a motorcycle with a sidecar, not a motorcycle on its own. I would like to know what license I would need to do so.
Thank you
joanne
I realise I didn’t put much thought into phrasing my e-mail that well, but what the hell, I hit “send” too fast.
16th June, TP replies:
Dear Ms Teo
To ride a motorcycle with sidecar, you must be a holder of motorcycle driving licence. However, you are required to obtain approval from LTA if you want to fit a sidecar on your motorcycle. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further clarification.
Best regards
Saimah Nuji | Supervisor Licensing & Dips | TLB | Traffic Police Dept | DID: 6547-6037 | FAX: 6547-1955
So there you have it. In order to ride a motorcycle with a sidecar you have to have a motorcycle license. Of course I knew this before, but I was hoping for a shortcut. As usual, there are none in Singapore.
By the way, did you take note of the list of departments these people are in? What is “Supervising Licensing and Dips”? What’s “Dips”? Actually, what does “TLB” stand for? Furthermore, there isn’t any regularity about the way the divisions are presented. Ma’am Ruby Tan uses a pipe and Ms Saimah Nuji uses a slash. Come on TP, standards are dropping! And why is it only one person has a number I can contact her with and the other doesn’t?
All this information about where these people come from and which department they’re slaving in. Is that important to me? Don’t I just need to know that Ruby Tan from the Traffic Police sent an e-mail that didn’t help and that Saimah Nuji finally answered my question?
These people are just including extraneous information that just raises inconsequential questions.
And don’t get me started on how a motorcycle has only two wheels therefore motorcycles with sidecars are technically no longer motorcycles, so why would one need a motorcycle license?