News| 20-year-old student hired overseas programmer to build bot to book driving lesson slots, makes 4-figure sum a month

[s3nt1n3l]

who said that sinkie not creative and no entrepreneurial spirit ?

bots, scalpers... all signs of creativity

 

[pohw0008]

Another way is to allocate pre assigned session once during registration.. 4 session per month for the next 6 months.. if you are not happy with the timing then you can drop it but no guarantee to get back session you like etc.. those session that was given up will be ballot among the rest of the students who are interested in getting them..

 

[BlackWing1977]

Too many bots, too few instructors: Why the long wait for driving lessons in Singapore​

Ms Joylene Chen enrolled at the ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC) in November 2024, thinking that she could get her licence to drive an automatic car within six months. Seven months later, the 25-year-old is still far from her goal, but not for the lack of trying.

The finance executive has managed to book only three practical lessons so far – after paying $30 to secure them using a Telegram bot, which is programmed to track available slots in CDC’s booking system.

She is not alone. Many other students have also had to resort to using automated bots, or paying someone on Carousell, a local online marketplace, to snag the lessons.

A private driving instructor who declined to be named said his students sometimes pay the Carousellers $30 to $50 per slot out of desperation. “This is a very unhealthy practice,” he told The Straits Times.

The three driving schools here have long acknowledged the issue, and have suspended accounts found to have used bots and scripts for up to three months.

CDC said it suspended 214 errant accounts in 2024. The Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) said it did the same but declined to reveal more data.

Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) suspended 6,000 accounts last year, and another 6,500 between 2022 and 2023.

But despite their efforts, the bots are still here, there and everywhere.

A 20-year-old student told ST that he had hired an overseas programmer to build a bot not just to book his own slots, but also to offer it to others at a price.

“I charge between $50 and $70, depending on how specific my customers’ requests are,” he said, adding that he does not plan to stop this “service”, which allows him to make a four-figure sum a month.

According to lawyers ST spoke to, there are currently no legal penalties for bot builders and users.

Continue reading: https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...rs-why-theres-a-long-wait-for-driving-lessons

Scalping....

 

[BlackWing1977]

this is how seller provide service. use 20 account snipe up all the slot then go resell for $10 each. then legitmate learner no chance to book slots alr.

You cannot get the bot developer, get the one selling it and fine them.

 

[mgx-alander]

heng i completed moi driving classes more than 15 years ago

 

[HelloEllo]

The solution is there just they don't bother to change.. so difficult to tied to individual and cannot transfer??

Ya just generate a qr for every booking that is tied to individual account. No passing or transferance of booking.

Allow booker's to go to the counter to register and once counter verify then they are given a pass say to go for the session.

Alternatively engage activesg to do the booking system la. They always tie the slot to the booker.

 

[C_boliao]

Well.. Maybe use singpass to book. Thank me later

 

[MaskedRider555]

wah so easy ah??????

 

[matrixx]

I dun ***** care if bots are used for buying concert tickets, but using them for public services is different and i consider them out of bounds. This is a form of denial of service to public and government services. I dunno why the government still dun make it a criminal offense.