12-year-old boy allegedly stole private bus in Tampines and drove it

Wong Shiying
The Straits Times
April 13, 2023

A 12-year-old boy is assisting the police with investigations into a case of vehicle theft in Tampines on Wednesday.

The police said on Thursday that they were alerted to the incident in Tampines Avenue 10 at 12.04pm on Wednesday, without elaborating further.

The stolen vehicle is believed to be a bus owned by private bus operator A&S Transit.

When contacted, the company declined to give details on how the boy got into the bus, how long he had driven it for, where he had driven it to, and whether the bus got damaged.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the bus operator acknowledged the public’s interest in the case, but said it did not wish to put further stress on the boy as the school examination period is nearing.

A&S Transit said: “While we do not condone the actions of the minor, we hope to support (his passion for buses) in a healthy way. It is unfortunate that this incident occurred, and the authorities have been notified.”

Images circulating online show a boy wearing a white shirt in the driver’s seat of a bus. In another photo, he is standing against a wall with police officers and investigators around him.