Almost everyone has access to social apps like Telegram. But did you know there are a few groups out there that can help drivers on the roads? Let’s take a look at them.
Sometimes, the radio just doesn’t give you sufficient information while you’re on the road. They may warn you of an incident at a certain area, but it may not be as detailed to avoid it completely.
Besides having conversations with your loved ones, Telegram offers more to users through the use of channels, groups and bots. Some of these are dedicated towards traffic and road conditions, and can aid drivers immensely.
Let’s have a look at five Telegram groups that every Singaporean driver should join!
*Take note that all figures below are rounded off.
1. SGRoad Blocks / Traffic News
The first on the list is a group chat which primary purpose is to inform drivers of road blocks, as well as the occasional update for traffic news.
The group has slightly more than 27,000 members, as of today (7 November 2019). Being a group chat, you will see fellow drivers chit-chatting with each other, asking if certain areas have road blocks or not.
For example, if Driver A asks if Woodlands has any road blocks, Driver B who is currently driving in Woodlands could reply if they had spotted any road blocks.
The chat is super useful for motorists when they’re rushing off to work. After all, nobody likes getting stopped at road blocks.
You can join the group here.
2. SG Rd informers
With roughly 15,000 members as of today, this group chat updates motorists of any accidents or obstacles on the road. It also updates drivers about the traffic flow at certain areas.
The chat forwards traffic updates from ‘SG Rd Updates’, which is a channel that informs drivers about whatever is happening on the roads. You can subscribe to the channel here.
What’s the difference between the ‘Update’ and ‘Informer’ chats? Well, ‘SG Rd Informers’ is a group chat, where you can send messages and talk to other users. ‘SG Rd Updates’ is a channel, which means that only admins can send messages.
The ‘Update’ chat has about 18,400 subscribers as of today.
Although, we feel that the ‘Informer’ group is a better fit as you can get the updates, as well as converse with other.
You can join the group here.
3. SG Hitch – Premium
As a carpooling service, this Telegram group is good for drivers who want to earn a little extra cash. Like how hitchhikers wave down vehicles on the road, ‘SG Hitch’ is also great for passengers, or hitchers, who need a quick ride to their destination.
There’s a few basic points that both drivers and hitchers have to include when they send in their request, such as:
- Pick Up Point
- Drop Off Point
- Date
- Time
- Pax
Sometimes, drivers and/or hitchers will state their preferred payment methods as well. Arrangements are made through private messages (PM) between the drivers and hitchers.
The group chat has roughly 8,000 members as of today.
There have been cases of harassment, especially with male drivers picking up female hitchers. Due to this, a ‘SG Hitch’ group purely for females was created. It was created by Ms Ong Shuling, a university student who wanted to provide a safer carpooling experience for women.
The ‘SG Hitch Female Drivers Riders’ group chat can be joined at this link.
4. SGMYCustom & Msia Road
With almost 39,000 members as of today, this group chat is intended for motorists who travel in and out of Malaysia on the daily. It constantly updates members about the road conditions in Malaysia, and allows motorists to converse with each other.
When you first join the group, a bot will welcome you with a long message that has a long list of acronyms. Although, with so many members, sometimes the bot doesn’t send the welcome message to everyone, so you might be confused.
Let’s break down the list of acronyms together.
- WLNFC – Woodlands Left No Fuel Check
- WRNFC – Woodlands Right No Fuel Check
- WLFC – Woodlands Left Fuel Check
- WRFC – Woodlands Right Fuel Check
- TLNFC – Tuas Left No Fuel Check
- TRNFC – Tuas Right No Fuel Check
- TLFC – Tuas Left Fuel Check
- TRFC – Tuas Right Fuel Check
Basically, these inform drivers whether there are any fuel checks at the Woodlands or Tuas checkpoints. These acronyms are also used by members to inform each other of fuel checks.
Aside from this, the group chat also sends updates on road cameras at the checkpoints for drivers to check. It even provides useful information like the current exchange rate and the weather forecast in Johor.
You can join this group here.
5. Motorist Community
Did you know that we here at Motorist have our own Telegram group that you can join? Yep, we do, and you can join us here.
This group chat is a friendly place for fellow drivers to converse with each other and make friends. It’s also a place for drivers to ask any burning questions they have about the automotive industry.
It’s an all-rounder group chat, which means that you can ask questions, answer questions, interact with our friendly Motorist team and receive important news, such as COE results.
Our bot friend, Mel, updates the group the second something new is posted, such as an article or a question asked on our website. It even informs about fuel checks and traffic police sightings.
With nearly 8,000 members and counting, this group chat is a great place to share news with each other. If you (touch wood) encounter an accident, you could appeal for witnesses in our group chat, or help someone else to share their experience.
We hope that these Telegram groups will help you and fellow drivers stay safe on the roads, as well as to keep up-to-date on the latest news in the automotive industry.
We’re not encouraging drivers to use their phones while driving, as that is a very dangerous thing to do, but we hope that the information shared in these groups can help drivers when traveling.
Download the new Motorist app now. Designed by drivers for drivers, this all-in-one app lets you receive the latest traffic updates, gives you access to live traffic cameras, and helps you manage LTA and vehicle matters.
Did you know we have a Motorist Telegram Channel? Created exclusively for drivers and car owners in Singapore, you can get instant info about our latest promotions, articles, tips & hacks, or simply chat with the Motorist Team and fellow drivers!
Keyword: 5 Telegram Groups Every Singaporean Driver Should Join