SINGAPORE: A private tour bus operator is winning widespread praise online for its stance after one of its vehicles was stolen by a 12-year-old boy this week.
A&S Transit reported the theft of one of its vehicles around noon on Wednesday (12 Apr), and the police later found that the culprit was a pre-teen boy who had reportedly taken the bus for a joyride. It is unclear how the boy gained access to the bus, the duration of time he drove it, the destinations he went to, and whether the bus sustained any damage.
One photo circulating online shows the boy wearing a white shirt while seated in the driver’s seat of the bus, while another picture shows the boy standing against a wall with police officers and investigators surrounding him.
While the boy is cooperating with ongoing police investigations, A&S Transit has publicly forgiven the boy and has even appealed to the public for more understanding towards the youth.
The company said in a Facebook post on Thursday (13 Apr) evening that it is reluctant to make the matter more public than it is as it said, “The issue involves a minor and we do not wish for any undue stress on the person, taking into consideration that it is approaching the school examinations period.
“A&S hopes for all of us to take a gracious and forgiving approach in guiding our youths and supporting them in the pursuit of their passion.”
The bus operator stated that while they do not condone the boy’s actions, they hope this is an opportunity for society to support Singaporean youth and their interests instead of dismissing them. It said:
“It has been A&S’s belief that the youth must be supported and guided in their passion, be it in buses or anything else. This should be done with proper and healthy outlets for them to express and cultivate their enthusiasm.
“We would like to take this opportunity to call on the public, government and organisations not to dismiss our youths, but to see this incident as a call to hear the growing enthusiasm among the younger generation and to support them with more outlets and opportunities to pursue their interests.”
Calling on the public to refrain from fanning speculating any further as the authorities have already been notified, A&S Transit said: “While we do not condone the action of the minor, we hope to support the person and any youth in guiding them to express their passion in healthy ways.”