Thug Taxi Driver SHD5222C Novena Road

Landwarrior informs the following on 23 August 2011:

On the 23 August 2011 at 7.15am, I was driving my daughter in our van along Novena Road towards the direction of the city.

As we passed the cross junction with Balestier Road on the left and Thomson Hospital on the right, red Toyota Wish SHD 5222C squeezed himself from the left corner of the merging lane into my path. As I was ahead of him and saw him coming too near me from the corner of my eyes, I honked him.

Driver of SHD 5222C then speeded up and overtook me from the left and proceeded to give me the middle finger. He then glared at me from his rear view mirror.

I was quite shocked. I had honked him to warn him that he was too close and that he had blundered into my lane and while clearly his fault, he then gave me the rude gesture.

Not happy with this, he then sped off and later up the road, purposely cut into my lane once again from the left. After this, he zoomed off and cut lanes before picking up a fare at United Square. As I passed him, his window was down and he was smoking. He looked a typical gangster and frankly, I fear gangsters especially when I have a child with me.

This is not the first time I have encountered bad manners from a Red Transcab taxi.

You are probably sick and tired of hearing of bad drivers under your company and you probably wouldnt even take any action. But dont you think its sad that a few hooligans are spoiling your companys image? Why bother even starting a company this way? Dont you filter out potential drivers? Dont you care about your company?

Dont bother getting a PR Company to right your company's image till you weed out these gangsters masquerading as taxi drivers.

We can sense your frustration and the feeling of hopelessness. All we can say is that the cab companies make the money whether they deal with the complaints adequately or not. Hence, there is no motivation for them to make things better. The best option has always been to take the matter up with the regulatory body itself - the LTA - so that they can take the appropriate action or apply the pressure necessary to spur the cab companies into corrective action. We strongly encourage you to lodge a complaint with LTA through their online feedback form for real action (as opposed to lip service and insincere undertaking) to take place. It is very easy to fill out and much more reliable than calling/emailing the cab companies. Good luck and do keep us posted on the developments!

Foul Mouthed Driver SHB786K Angulia Park

Clive Coombes informs the following on 01/08/2011:

I have just seen your excellent web site on taxi drivers in Singapore and offer the following as an example of behaviour I have experienced today; the worst I have seen in 2 years living here. Here is the text of my note to SMRT.

I wish to lodge a formal complaint regarding the behaviour of the driver of SMRT taxi registered SHB 786K. His foul mouthed tirade to me after being informed of his awful driving and complete lack of consideration for road users is indicative of a complete lack of courtesy and awareness of the standards required of a representative of your company.

Specifically, on 1 Aug at 1315 hrs, your driver turned off Orchard Road onto Angulia Park Road beside Wheelock Place . After having made the turn, he proceeded approximately 100 meters and simply stopped in the middle of the road and allowed passengers to disembark. This meant that a number of vehicles also attempting to turn off Orchard into Angulia were unable to move. Your driver had, quite simply, blocked the road. Having waited for some time, and with other cars in a dangerous position, stationary on Orchard Road, I alighted from my own car (I was chauffeur driven and therefore did not leave my vehicle unattended) and walked to the rear of your driver’s vehicle and rapped loudly on the rear window of his cab, telling him forcefully of his inconsiderate, stupid and very dangerous actions. He finally moved his cab, him having been waiting – blocking the road throughout – and joined the taxi rank at Wheelock Place .

I returned to my own car and as I passed his vehicle he shouted from his cab “F*** You, F*** You”. I immediately noted his number and the time and this complaint is the result.

I inform you of this incident as I am disgusted by the behaviour of this person. His driving and actions were dangerous and inconsiderate. His foul mouthed tirade is unbecoming. He deserves – and needs – disciplinary action taking against him and I would be grateful if you could inform me of what action is taken.

Hope this is of some use. Many thanks and best wishes.

Just because they are providing a service, these people often believe that they are justified in doing the stupidest of things. There are better ways of managing the situation and a simple apology for holding up the whole road would have been a more appropriate response that mitigates his stupid and inconsiderate behaviour. However, as astonishing as it is, the typical behaviour is to get angry with those who have been inconvenienced in the first place! As ever, we advise against approaching the cab companies and proceeding with a feedback comment to LTA through their online feedback form for a more concrete outcome.These types of drivers are banking on our kindness that we won't take them to task - and using it as our weakness.