A Singaporean man travelled to France with his family for a holiday — and stumbled upon a large student protest.

He subsequently got tear-gassed.

According to Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min), Ji Hongwen (transliteration), 64, was holidaying in Lyon with his wife and sister-in-law when they encountered the demonstrations.

The protest he encountered was part of a larger series of student demonstrations that has engulfed the whole of France recently, beginning in a high school in the suburb of Paris, but quickly spreading nationwide.

"A war zone"

Ji told Shin Min that his family had just finished strolling around a morning market and were having lunch when they heard a commotion from a distance.

Curious, he walked over, only to find that it was a student protest march.

Protestors and armoured police stood on opposite ends of the street, with the crowd throwing rocks and various objects at the police.

He said the demonstrators "burned garbage cans and other items along the street", with the whole street "fiercely ablaze".

The police were fully armed and fired tear gas at the protestors, causing them to scatter and flee.

According to Ji, the sound of gunshots from the tear gas was "incessant", and it was like a "war zone".

Tear-gassed

A tear gas canister then landed right next to him, causing him to tear up uncontrollably.

Ji ran with the students into the nearby alleys.

After about two minutes, his eyes began to recover.

He added that the student protestors were coordinated in their approach.

When a protestor was hit by tear gas, the other students would run up to them to provide eye drops.

Trip unaffected

Ji clarified that clashes were limited to specific parts of the city and public transport services were generally unaffected.

Afterwards, his group continued travelling as planned.

But it was memorable.

He said: "There was even a reporter next to me filming and documenting everything, it was really a unique travel experience!"

Tensions boiled over

According to France 24, the protests have been carried out and centre around French high school students.

The protests originated from a teachers' strike on Sep. 17 in a lycée in Créteil, a suburb of Paris.

A lycée is the French equivalent of a high school, preparing students for the baccalauréat national exam.

The Créteil teachers' strike soon found students joining them in solidarity, blockading the entrance of the school.

Soon after, similar demonstrations erupted in other high schools around France over common woes that are perceived to stem from a lack of resources afforded to education by the government.

Such problems include acute staff shortages, dilapidated school buildings, poor conditions during the recent French heatwaves, long school hours, and a university admissions system seen as opaque and unfair.

Reports indicated that 250,000 people have taken to the streets, with about 6,000 arrests made.

A 15-year-old teenager's hand was blown off after he picked up a grenade intended to be non-lethal.

Since 2022, a man has been taking legal action to seek over S$100,000 in restitution from his ex-girlfriend he believed he would marry, but was allegedly unfaithful to him.

Low, a Singaporean, claimed he gave Goh, a Malaysian, substantial financial benefits during the seven years they dated, totalling more than S$100,000 and RM21,600 (S$6,800).

They included sums to pay for her business ventures, her insurance premiums, and what he said was to be the couple's matrimonial home in Malaysia, according to a court judgement dated Oct. 5.

He argued that he made these payments believing that they were in a committed and exclusive relationship.

However, he later realised Goh had not been committed, and had allegedly instead been "falsely leading him on" because she wanted his money.

Goh argued that they were never in such a relationship.

Although she acknowledged that she received the financial benefits, she maintained that they were voluntary payments and gifts that Low chose to give her.

The relationship and its expenses

The couple met in 2008 while they were employed in the Singapore branch of the same company.

By the end of 2009, they were committed to a long-term romantic relationship, according to Low.

They dated from 2009 to 2015, when Low found out that Goh was in a relationship with another man, whom she later married.

During their relationship, he made payments towards her insurance premiums, personal expenses, and business ventures.

He also bought her a jewellery set intended as an engagement gift, and gave her access to a Malaysian savings account from which she made withdrawals.

He further claimed that he transferred a total of S$31,510 to her to purchase their eventual matrimonial home in Malaysia, and she held this sum and any proceeds from it on trust for him.

Was he mistaken?

Low's case mainly relies on his argument that he mistakenly believed Goh was committed to an exclusive relationship with him.

According to him, his expenditures were made under this alleged mistake.

He said that he was “not a high-income earner”, and would not have spent over S$100,000 on her if he had "believed she was simply a casual friend or even a non-exclusive romantic partner".

He added that he bought the jewellery set at Goh's request, after both of them discussed marriage and having children.

As for Goh, she argued that "at no point was the relationship defined as exclusive", and that Low's belief was "merely his own subjective assumption".

A default judgement

When Low first filed the lawsuit in February 2022, Goh did not participate in the proceedings, so a judgement in default was entered against her in September 2022.

Under the default judgement, she was ordered to pay Low S$100,802.99 and RM21,600 (S$6,800), along with interests and legal costs of S$2,781.20.

Low engaged Malaysian solicitors to enforce this, serving the papers to her at her registered residential address in Johor Bahru, but she did not respond.

He eventually commenced bankruptcy proceedings against Goh in Malaysia, and this finally prompted her to seek to challenge the judgement in Singapore.

In April 2026, she applied to set aside the default judgement in Singapore, claiming that she "did not receive the documents purportedly served" on her as she had blocked Low on her Malaysian number.

However, Deputy Registrar Lewis Tan pointed out that the papers were sent by Low's solicitors, and they used several means to serve them to her besides WhatsApp, including her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Tan argued that Goh was aware of Singapore proceedings but only acted when the threat of enforcement became real.

The judgement also noted that Low said she only saw Goh occasionally from 2009 to 2013, and stopped seeing him in 2013 after meeting another man, whom she married in 2015.

"However, this timeline does not cohere with the benefits conferred by [Goh], which began in 2009 but increased from 2013, after she had supposedly stopped seeing him."

Case reopened

Ultimately, Tan said that the present evidence favours Low's claims, as it does not suggest he had reason to doubt the exclusivity of their relationship.

But that is not the end of the inquiry, Tan said.

He argued that alternative conventional causes of action were likely available to Low, undermining his case for unjust enrichment.

Despite Goh's "inordinate delay" in applying to set aside the default judgement, Tan also pointed out Low's own delay as he waited more than eight years after the last alleged transfer to Goh before commencing proceedings.

The alleged transfers for purchasing the Malaysian property were made in tranches, the last in December 2013, but Low only took legal action more than eight years later in February 2022.

By that time, memories have faded, and Low himself was unable to produce contemporaneous evidence of the transfers, some of which were made in cash, Tan said.

He believes Goh raised substantial defences that should be properly determined at trial, and so decided to set aside the default judgement entirely and to hear both parties' cases again at trial.

The owner of Sumo Salad, who was found dead at the foot of a Bukit Timah housing block in 2025, had reportedly been under stress over a workplace injury claim made against her.

Despite the insurer paying for some of the worker's hospital bills, she was said to have been distressed over the possibility of having to pay additional compensation, reported Lianhe Zaobao.

The 44-year-old woman had alleged via social media posts on Jul. 18, 2025, that a former staff member had orchestrated a fall to file a false work injury claim.

A coroner's inquiry hearing on Oct. 8, 2026, heard that the woman had initially attempted suicide that same day.

She was sent to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) but later discharged against medical advice.

She was found dead the next day on Jul. 19, 2025.

Mothership understands that a gag order imposed covers the identities of the witnesses in the inquiry, as well as the deceased's residential address.

Attempted suicide

The woman was initially found drunk and lying at Changi Beach at about 3am on Jul. 18, 2025, according to Zaobao.

First responders recounted that she had said she wanted to die and was scammed of money without elaborating further.

She was later apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act and taken to Changi General Hospital before being transferred to IMH.

The woman was discharged against medical advice that same day.

It was also revealed in court that the woman had visited a hospital psychiatric department in late June 2025 and was prescribed medicine for depression, Zaobao reported.

She told her doctor at the time that she felt guilty because her work kept her away from her children for extended periods, and that her company was also facing difficulties.

However, the doctor at the time did not notice any suicidal tendencies.

Found dead

The next morning on Jul. 19, 2025, the woman went to a public housing block after telling her husband she was going out to exercise.

The husband said this was her usual routine, Zaobao reported.

Residents who crossed paths with her said she looked "normal" that day.

A resident saw her carrying a styrofoam box containing "colourful objects" while taking the lift upstairs.

The woman was later found dead at the foot of the block.

A suicide note was subsequently found on her laptop.

Stressed over workplace injury claim

The woman was reportedly stressed about a foreign worker who had been sending medical bills to her after a workplace injury.

The worker had also said she would be making a claim for total permanent incapacity against her.

She was also worried that the insurance company would not cover the full amount.

Three days before her death, the woman had also emailed the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) clarifying if she had to pay new medical bills.

In another email, she had questioned why the worker was still able to walk normally after her injury.

It was also revealed that after being discharged from IMH, the woman spoke by phone with an MOM official, reiterating her concerns.

She was reportedly told by the official that she should provide more information to the insurance company instead.

According to Zaobao, the investigators have closed the case as a suicide.

They noted that the police and MOM have launched an investigation into the migrant worker's workers' compensation claim, but did not disclose whether the investigation was complete or ongoing.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

• National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)
• National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)
• SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)
• Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)
• HOME (migrant worker): +65 6341 5535 (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS)
• HOME (domestic worker): +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / SMS / Call)
• SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 8985 5528 (For targets of online harms)
• National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH): 1800-777-0000

A woman attacked with an aerosol flamethrower in the streets.

A teenager losing a hand to a grenade.

A local mayor stretches himself fully like a mother hen, trying to form a barrier between French riot police and protesting students behind him.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets, not just in the capital, Paris, but in French cities all across the nation, from Lille in the north to Marseille in the south.

These protests are being initiated and led by school children aged 15-18, but at times with the support of their teachers, and even local mayors.

What are they protesting, why is the protest turning violent, and what political implications does this have?

Long days and crumbling schools

French students have turned out in the tens of thousands to protest the state of their schools, both physical and academic.

These students are mainly between the ages of 15 and 18, part of France's lycée system.

Le Monde reports leaking, crumbling school buildings that reach 40°C in the summer and are unheated during the winter, requiring children to wear coats while in class; and The Guardian also shares complaints about “rat-infested buildings.”

There are also concerns about academic workload, with students complaining that the curriculum restricts time for other pursuits, and that the university admissions process, critical for determining future outcomes, is plagued by opacity.

This is coupled with concerns about the school system's teacher shortages, with students reliant on temporary teachers for long periods when their original teachers quit or take leaves of absence abruptly.

Perhaps the most stinging critique is that these problems disproportionately affect public schools in poor areas, with an education analyst with the OECD telling The Guardian that there was a “marked gap” between students from advantaged and disadvantaged schools.

The BBC notes that teacher absenteeism is not markedly higher than the OECD average, and that according to an OECD report, France spends more than the EU average per student for upper secondary schools, the students protesting now, but acknowledges that France’s school day is both long and convoluted.

The Guardian notes that while France’s class size average is not much higher than the OECD average, 29 to 26, it varies significantly between rural and urban areas, where in the latter, class sizes can reach as high as 36.

Children of the revolution

Le Monde notes that in many cases, the protests have been largely peaceful, and well supported not just by affected students but also by teachers and unions

Some students from a private school turned out to protest in solidarity, with one sign reading “Private and public, all children of the Republic.”

Teachers have also joined the protest, one teacher interviewed said it was their responsibility as teachers to “make sure we protect them [the students].”

Another remarked that he wanted to show that there was a “peaceful way to support their legitimate demands”, after he had suggested that some of the violence was caused by students copying violent acts seen on social media, and trying to outdo them.

Teachers also have a stake in the protests; trouble with retention and absenteeism is linked to their low pay.

In one case, a parent said that he was attending in place of his child, as he feared for his child's safety, and that they had compromised by exchanging places.

Local political figures have also participated, with a mayor of a Paris suburb, Bally Bagayoko, shown trying to stand in between protesters and riot police.

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Violence in the streets

But not all protesters have been peaceful.

The Telegraph reports an incident where a woman was first shoved against a bus stop, then had fire sprayed at her using an aerosol can and a lighter, resulting in first-degree burns.

The assailant has reportedly been arrested.

The Telegraph also reports that protesters have lost sympathy after that and similar incidents, with videos showing protesters assaulting an unconscious police officer and teachers outside of school.

There has also been a fair amount of disinformation, with a video of a burning bus in a southern French city being deceptively labelled as from the current round of protests, when it was simply an engine fire that took place in 2023, as reported by AFP via Yahoo.

Protesters blocking schools and universities have been met with riot police armed with batons as well as tear gas and stun grenades.

Images of the protest show protesters setting up flaming barricades, made up of dustbins and bicycles, while arson attacks have also been carried out against schools.

Tear gas and grenades

One incident saw a 15-year-old lose a hand to a grenade.

It is not yet known if he had been struck by the grenade or if he had picked it up, although The Guardian reports that his mother claims he had not picked it up.

France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said that the use of such grenades was temporarily suspended but defended police tactics, saying that officers did not intervene when protests were peaceful.

He also reported that 761 police officers had been wounded in the protests, while 215 teenagers and 89 school staff had been injured.

Le Monde reports student protesters denying initiating violence against the police, with a group in Rennes saying that riot police had arrived suddenly and “tear-gassed everyone.”

The protesters held a sign saying “Old enough to be tear-gassed but not to protest.”

Fiscal trouble and budget cuts

With many of the students involved in the protests likely too young to vote, it remains to be seen how it will affect France’s political dynamic.

The current French President Emmanuel Macron is term-limited, and elections to replace him are just over half a year away in April 2027.

Euronews reports that France’s borrowing costs have hit their highest levels since 2002 and its government debt is reaching 119 per cent of GDP.

It appears that the government has decided that cutting spending, except for interest and defence, is the way out of its current troubles, but the government holds a minority of seats in the French parliament, meaning that it cannot guarantee its solution will be supported.

This also means that the changes students, and some teachers, are demanding will have trouble finding funding in an environment where France is looking to slash government budgets.

Elections in April

This dire outlook has allowed formerly fringe politicians to come to the fore.

Some might be aware of far-right Marine Le Pen, who is all but certain to reach the second round of the presidential election, as she is polling at around 33 per cent support, according to Reuters.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is in second place, expected to attain at least 17 per cent of first-round votes, although polling suggests he will be roundly beaten by Le Pen in the second round.

An op-ed in The Guardian says that Mélenchon is a natural repository for the votes of the disaffected youth and those who share their sentiments.

In fact, the mayor who put himself between police and protesters is from Mélenchon’s party, La France Insoumise (LFI).

But The Guardian op-ed notes that Mélenchon’s Achilles' heel appears to be his foreign policy, described as pro-Russian, anti-NATO, anti-European Union, and near indistinguishable from that of Le Pen.

In previous elections, French presidents like Macron and Jacque Chirac have managed to hold off far-right challenges by assembling a left-centre coalition, as left-leaning voters held their noses and voted for the least undesirable of two options in the second round.

But given a choice between the two extremes, there is no recent precedent for how elections will go.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has launched a public consultation exercise on the proposed merging of Categories A and B of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) into a single passenger car category.

Category A COE is currently for mass-market cars while Category B is for higher-end cars.

The two categories are distinguished based on engine capacity and power.

LTA is also proposing the introduction of a "fee-and-rebate" ("feebate") mechanism on top of the merged category to continue ensuring a premium difference between the two car markets.

The idea was mooted by Edward Chia, deputy chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee for transport and Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, during a focus group discussion in July 2026.

Proposed 'feebate' mechanism

Merging Categories A and B would mean buyers of mass-market and higher-end cars would be able to bid from a combined pool of COEs.

Besides this merger, LTA is also proposing the introduction of a new "feebate" mechanism to ensure that higher-end car buyers continue to pay more than mass-market car buyers.

How this works is that on top of the COE premium, car buyers will face one of three scenarios:

• Receive a rebate
• Pay a surcharge
• See no adjustment

To determine which will apply to a car buyer, LTA will gather a list of all median Open Market Value (OMV) for cars on the market.

The median OMVs will then be arranged in a distribution before bands are determined based on percentiles.

Whether a car buyer pays a fee or receives a rebate will depend on the band in which the car model they are purchasing falls.

For example, if the median OMV of a mass-market vehicle like the Toyota Sienta, Volvo EX 30 or a Honda Freed falls within the zero to 35th percentile of all median OMVs, buyers of such a car will receive a certain amount of rebate on their COE premium.

For a higher-end car like a Tesla Model 3, BYD Sealion 7 Performance or Mercedes Benz A180, whose median OMV might fall above the 50th percentile of all median OMVs, it might mean that consumers purchasing such a car would have to pay a surcharge on top of their COE premium.

The OMV of a car is currently used to calculate the Additional Registration Fee.

Feedback on feebate mechanism and others

LTA has yet to determine whether this should be a three-band or five-band structure, and is looking to gather feedback via the public consultation exercise.

Apart from the band structure, LTA is also looking for feedback on:

• Whether such a single passenger car category with a feebate system should be introduced.
• Whether median OMV is an appropriate basis for determining the feebate bands.
• Whether the feebate should apply to COE renewals.
• How Category E should be adjusted if Categories A and B are merged.

In its consultation paper, LTA explained that its review is guided by three principles:

• The COE framework being the most efficient method to allocate car ownership.
• The framework should ensure buyers of higher-value cars pay more for a COE than those of lower-value cars.
• The framework should be open and transparent.

Technological advances dulled effectiveness of Category A and B

Explaining the rationale for such a proposal, LTA said that the use of engine capacity and power as the criteria to distinguish between the groups have become less effective.

This is in part due to advances in technology, particularly the advent of electric vehicles.

Such technological advancements have enabled manufacturers to adjust vehicle specifications to fit within the Category A threshold.

As a result, more car buyers are competing for Category A COEs, which has resulted in a narrowing of the price gap between Categories A and B.

According to LTA, between February and June 2026, Category A COE prices have exceeded Category B prices on three occasions.

During the latest COE bidding exercise on Oct. 7, 2026, CNA reported that the prices for both Category A and B were almost the same, with Category A closing at S$130,001 and Category B closing at S$130,100.

Current framework

Under the current COE framework, cars with engine capacity and power of less than or equal to 1,600cc and 130bhp, or 110kW, fall under Category A.

Cars with engine capacity and power of more than 1,600cc and 130bhp, or 110kW, fall under Category B.

The public consultation on the proposed merger and "feebate" mechanism will run from Oct. 8, 5pm, to Nov. 2, 11:59pm.

The review is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and LTA said it will share the findings and recommendations by the first-half of 2027.

Details on the proposed framework can be found here, while feedback can be submitted here.

Other suggestions considered

LTA said it has to date engaged more than 200 members of the public, academics and representatives from the automotive industry, including through focus group discussions in April and May 2026.

According to LTA, these participants generally agreed that engine capacity and power have become less effective in distinguishing between the two categories of cars.

LTA also heard other suggestions regarding the COE framework, such as allocating COEs based on family needs, applying a surcharge on multiple car ownership and a separate category for private hire cars.

However, in its press release, LTA explained why they might not be feasible.

More COEs for families with young children?

For example, many participants suggested that families with young children, particularly larger families, should receive greater support with car ownership, to assist with managing school runs and other responsibilities.

While LTA recognises that families have different transport needs at different stages of life, this means a choice must be made about whose needs should receive greater priority. Allocating more COEs for one group would take away COEs for others, such as multi-generational households who have their own transport needs.

Furthermore, household circumstances also change over time, making it difficult to administer such a system fairly over the lifespan of a COE.

Instead, LTA is looking at other ways to support the needs of families. It is currently working out the details of a transport grant to help offset the transport costs of large families with three or more Singapore Citizen children, whether by taxi or public transport.

LTA will announce more details on this grant when ready.

A 47-year-old American man was arrested for stealing about S$1,409 worth of perfume from retail shops in the transit area of Changi Airport.

The items were stolen in November 2025 and April 2026, the police said in a press release on Oct. 7.

The man was finally arrested on Sep. 25, 2026, during a planned operation when he transited through Changi Airport.

Stole perfumes

The police were alerted to a case of shop theft after a retail assistant noticed that a box of perfume was missing from a display shelf on Nov. 5, 2025.

The police said CCTV footage revealed that the man had taken a box of perfume valued at S$331 and left without making payment the previous day at about 7:40pm.

Further investigations revealed that he had stolen three more boxes of perfume with a total value of S$646 later that day.

They were stolen from two retail outlets in the transit area of Terminal 2.

Officers from the Airport Police Division were able to identify the man although he had already departed Singapore.

The man returned to Changi Airport for a connecting flight on Apr. 24, 2026 at about 7am.

Preliminary investigations revealed that he stole a box of perfume valued at S$236.90 from a retail outlet at about 7:15am.

He proceeded to steal another box of perfume valued at S$195.40 from a second outlet at about 7:20am.

He left without paying at both outlets and departed Singapore.

Arrested

The man was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division on Sep. 25, 2026 during a planned operation when he transited through Changi Airport.

He was slated to be charged on Oct. 8 2026 with five counts of theft in dwelling.

The offence of theft in dwelling carries a jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both.

The police reminded the public that offenders should not assume that leaving the country after committing an offence will allow them to evade the law.

They said they will continue to work closely with airport stakeholders to prevent, detect and deter shop theft at Changi Airport.

A full-time national serviceman (NSF) was found unconscious at the foot of a building at Basic Military Training School 3 at about 1:22pm on Oct. 8, 2026, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Oct. 8 in a statement on social media.

The serviceman was immediately conveyed to Pulau Tekong Medical Centre for emergency treatment, and subsequently evacuated via helicopter to Singapore General Hospital.

He arrived at Singapore General Hospital at 2:05pm and was pronounced dead at 2:27pm.

The serviceman was not involved in training at the time of the incident.

Investigations are ongoing.

The statement added: "The Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces extend their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. The SAF is assisting the family in their time of grief."

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 2:40pm on Thursday.

They were alerted to a case of fall from height at Pulau Tekong.

A 20-year-old man was found lying motionless at the foot of the building and was conveyed unconscious to the hospital where he subsequently passed away.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A total of three siblings died after their motorcycle collided with a lorry in hazy conditions on the morning of Oct. 8, 2026, in Johor, Malaysia.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the eldest, an 18-year-old man, was driving his 11-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister to a local elementary school when the accident occurred.

He was supposedly unaware that schools in Johor were closed due to the haze.

All died

Following the collision, two siblings reportedly fell in front of the motorcycle, with another sibling flung onto a grassy slope nearby.

Among the three, two died on the spot, while another was taken to the hospital but subsequently pronounced dead, China Press reported.

Johor schools temporarily closed

An earlier report mentioned that all schools in Johor would be closed for two days starting Oct. 8 to safeguard students' health amid worsening haze conditions and deteriorating air quality across the state.

According to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), all eight areas in Johor recorded unhealthy readings as of 11am on Oct. 8, ranging from 162 to 188.

Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said the decision was made following a directive from Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, reported The Star.

"While this decision may req­uire some adjustment from everyone, under the current circumstances, the safety and health of children must be our shared priority," he said.

The district police chief is also expected to issue a statement regarding the Oct. 8 accident.

Singapore is going to impose more severe punishments for those who engage in illegal ride hitching.

Drivers who provide illegal point-to-point transportation using unlicensed vehicles can face higher fines of up to S$10,000.

The current fine is S$3,000.

Publishing, forwarding or sharing advertisements for illegal point-to-point services, including on messaging platforms such as Telegram, will be made illegal with the legislative changes.

Illegal carpooling services are offered on the Telegram messenger app.

They are known locally as Telehitch groups, where drivers and riders can match with one another and negotiate prices.

Going beyond prosecuting drivers

Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng said in Parliament on Oct. 7 that laws could target commuters next: “We have not introduced specific penalties against commuters for the use of illegal P2P (point-to-point) services for now. But we may do so in future.”

His remarks were made during the second reading of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, which was passed at the end of the sitting.

Baey also said illegal point-to-point services affect licensed drivers' livelihoods and put passengers at risk.

Clampdown on advertising illegal services

The new law will also compel advertisers to remove advertisements for illegal point-to-point services.

Online platforms will also be required to reveal the identity of those behind the advertisements.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will have the power to issue directions to take down such advertisements, and require platforms to provide information on the advertisers.

Non-compliance with any LTA direction will be an offence.

Impounded vehicles to be held longer

LTA has impounded about 240 vehicles used to provide illegal P2P services since July 2025.

Currently, LTA's investigations take around three to four months, but a seized unlicensed vehicle must be released within one month in the absence of prosecution, Baey said.

The government will lengthen the mandatory release timeline to three months, to give LTA sufficient time to investigate and build a complete case, it was added.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air India will soon be offering more flight options between their home countries as they further their partnership.

From Oct. 15, there will be a total of 126 weekly flights between Singapore and eight Indian cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

This is among the first round of initiatives under a commercial cooperation framework agreement that both airlines signed in January 2026, they said in a joint media release on Oct. 7.

"Demand for travel between Singapore and India remains strong, and this partnership will give customers greater choice and convenience," said SIA's Chief Commercial Officer Lee Lik Hsin.

SIA has owned a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India since November 2024.

More flexible booking

Travellers will also have greater flexibility to book eligible flights between Singapore and India operated by either airline alone through the other carrier's website, mobile application, and appointed travel agencies.

Currently, they can only book an eligible Air India-operated codeshare flight through SIA if it also includes an SIA-operated flight, and vice versa.

The change, which also kicks in from Oct. 15, will give travellers access to additional flight options and a more seamless booking experience.

SIA and Air India codeshare flights to 77 destinations across 27 countries and territories around the world.

Reciprocal membership benefits

SIA and Air India will also continue to enhance reciprocal benefits on eligible routes for their members at KrisFlyer and Maharaja Club.

From the second quarter of 2027, Maharaja Club Platinum and KrisFlyer PPS Club members will enjoy priority check-in and boarding privileges, alongside other top-tier members of the respective airlines.

Maharaja Club Silver and KrisFlyer Elite Silver members will also receive additional baggage allowances and priority boarding benefits.

These new benefits come on top of the adjustments both airlines previously made in April 2026 for reciprocal mileage accrual, by expanding the eligible booking classes and revising the earn rates across all cabin classes.

More changes can be expected in the future.

The two carriers are working on improving schedule connectivity to reduce layovers and waiting times, enhancing offerings for corporate customers, and additional measures to streamline the travel experience.