One Taxi Driver's Persepctive

Mr Taxi Taxi informs the following on 28/08/2012:

I been reading your blog Sg Taxi Driver.

Much I have to agree with some of the posted letters. There are some bad taxi driver in us and they are giving us a bad name.

But I don't think all of us is just like that. There are good drivers too.

Sometime it takes two hands to claps. Often the incident / accident /argument happen because either party do not give in. And I mean both party.

I am a taxi driver myself.

Often I too encounter bad driver as well. Trying to filter right even I signal my lights does not get me 

to the next lane, simply the others would not give-in, instead they speedup and cut you off! Some point their middle finger at you too.

Having passengers inside in taxi eating is another common scene. Telling them off pls do not eat and they don't listen, knowing that there will be others passengers coming into later. Their reason - "Just SOME food only la".

They will comply only if I tell them I have just drop off a badly coughing patient I pick up from the hospital before them.

At worse, some passengers run away without paying fare.

To whom can we complain?

Thank you taking the time to write in and I'm sure many will appreciate your input and agree with your perspective. Our mission here is not to label all drivers as stupid but to publicise the horrendous behaviour of the many hooligans in this trade. Yes, there will always be passengers who are too much and are a nightmare for drivers, but this is part and parcel of being in the service industry. A chef cannot say that he hates a hot kitchen and forever complain and behave rudely because of this. As the saying goes, if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. Drivers are not forced into this profession so if they are going to do it, they should do it properly. But your point is a good one - that drivers have nowhere to turn to when it comes to bad passengers. Well, might I propose then that drivers too write in to us to share their bad experiences so that we can post it up.

Typically Stupid Taxi Driver Kranji

Mr Keith Perron informs the following on 13/08/2012:

I would want to inform you that taxi and taxi drivers in Singapore suck. I’ve live in Taiwan for more than 10 years and the longest I ever waited for a taxi was 10 minuets and that was during a typhoon. When there is no typhoon the longest you can wait is 6 mins. When I was last in Singapore a few weeks ago I called and called and called and also waited at a taxi stand for more than 45mins. Here in Taipei I can go outside and get a taxi in less than 4 mins.

When I was in Singapore I needed to head to Kranji. I work for the BBC World Service and had to do some work at the BBC Far East Relay Station. 1st the taxi driver refused to drive that far, then when I got another taxi he wanted me to pay 15 dollars extra because of the distance. Then I got into an argument with him about the way. Hell I go to Singapore 20 to 30 times a year I know my way around, I know to get to the relay station in Kranji. He wanted to go another way. but I said no because it would add 20mins to the journey. Then I took out my GPS and showed him the way the motherfucker wanted to argue and said my GPS was wrong. When we got to the road where the relay is located he refused to drive to the gate because he said the road was to narrow, this is a 15min walk. This is total rubbish we have had 18 wheel rigs drive down when delivering transmitter and antenna parts.

I’m sorry and don’t take it the wrong way. But in all honestly I really hate the Singaporean taxi drivers. As far as I’m concerned they are lowest shit in your country.

In Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai taxi service is far better. With all my years in East and South East Asia I have only come across shit taxis in Singapore.
Will is change? I doubt it.
 

Regards,
Keith Perron, Director General
PCJ Radio International, BBC WS Asia/Pacific

We couldn't agree more, sir. Thank you for sharing your esteemed thoughts on this humble site.

Insane Driver SHD42R Tanjong Pagar

Ms Anne Cheung informs the following on 02/08/2012:

Transcab SHD0024R

On 2/8/2012 I was at the RELC hotel as I had a client meeting there. After the meeting, I decided to take a cab back to the office which was at Tanjong Pagar. A cab stopped for me after a long while of waiting and the taxi driver rolled down his window and good naturedly asked me where I was heading to. I told him Tanjong Pagar. He said okay, and I asked him if he accepted credit card as I had no cash on me at the moment. He said no, but I told him that my office building has an ATM machine right at the entrance, and it wouldn't take long for me to draw money. However, the ATM machine only dispenses $50 notes. He agreed and told me to quickly get on the cab.

5 mins later, I had the rudest shock of my life. He started driving really quickly and honking at drivers on the road. He also started to scold me incessantly, making remarks like 'Why on earth are you going to Tanjong Pagar?! It's so far away, it's almost rush hour already.', I pretended not to hear him as I thought maybe he was having a bad day or something. 

When we finally got to my office, I quickly got down and went to the ATM machine to withdraw money to pay him. He saw the $50 note in my hands and went absolutely ballistic. He made a lot of rude comments like 'Why did you withdraw $50?! ATM got $10 why you don't want to withdraw? You do it on purpose one is it?! So stupid!' At that point I was really incensed as I had already told him BEFORE I got on the cab that I was going to Tanjong Pagar and that the ATM there only dispensed $50 notes. 

Luckily there was a cafe in front so I told him I'll go there and break the note up. As the cafe was rather busy, I had to wait for my turn to speak to the barista. The whole time I was standing in the queue, the taxi driver was just honking at me and going 'AIYAH, why you like that?!' It was especially embarrassing as there were quite a few people around at that point in time. I gave him $10, and I am pretty sure the meter said $7.60, but he kept insisting that it was $8.80 and would only give me $1.20 back in change.

Usually I would have asked the taxi drivers to keep the small change, but this guy just made me really angry for me to even be picking on this matter right now. I asked for a receipt and was asked very rudely 'What on earth do you need a receipt for?!' He started to print the receipt, but before it finished printing, he tore it in half and gave the remains to me, then drove off before I could say anything.

I have never met such a rude taxi driver in my life, and I take cabs very frequently. I am very disappointed with the way he treated me ESPECIALLY after I made my situation clear to him before I even got into the cab.

I have tried to make several calls to Transcab but to no avail. It seems like all my experiences with Transcab have been disappointing to date, and I would urge everybody to boycott this company. 

We are not at all surprised by this type of lunatic driving a taxi. And don't even bother with the cab company. They will just avoid addressing the issue as long as possible and finally just give you a half-hearted reply/investigation. The best approach has always been to go straight to the governing body which is the LTA. Just lodge a quick feedback through their -fill online feedback form and you would have done more with less effort.

Attitude Driver SHD618C Pasir Ris

Mr Peter Ong informs the following on 31/07/2012:

Dear Honorable Minister, Mr Lui, Mr Lionel YEO (STB ) MP, Mr Ang HK, and Miss Jasmine Tan,

From Changi Airport to Pasir Ris Street 21

TAXI NUMBER : SHD 0618C
Date : 31/07/2012
Time Started : 20.13
Time Ended : 20: 28

Receipt Number : 937

We had a terrible, horrible and rude taxi driver , we had experience in our life , when he drive dangerously, hogging the expressways and did not signal when he filter left nor turning lanes.

Two of us, a HK friend, businessman and myself, boarded this Transcab Taxi ( details as above ).

1. The driver was "pissed off " when we told him our destination was Pasir Ris Street 21, did not offer any help with our laggages into the cab.

This was the first shocked my HK friend, was totally unimpressed about this driver.

2. On the way to Pasir Ris, he drove at 55-60 km/per hour, making the trip about 5 mins, hogging PIE / SLE which normally takes less than 3 mins at such hour.

Along exit PIE, exit 1, he almost caused an accident that the cars behind we horning at him, because he was very slow and did not signal left.

At TPE, exit to Pasir Ris, 3 cars from behind, each horned at him to avoid accident, because he was almost close to stationary abou 3-5 km/hr while making the left turn, towards/ undereanth to loyang Avenue, cars were horning at him.

Again at Drive 1, turning to Drive2 and Street 21, vechicles horned and over take him, while he jammed brakes, almost causing rear vehicles to hit us.

3. At Pasir Ris, near block 220, we directed him where to turn left , and he accused us on the wrong direction.

We told him to turn left and pointed left, but he thought LEFT ===> right Turn.

Then he blewed his temper shouting at us, about we telling him should be right not left.

Left was correct along Pasir Ris Street 21 entering into Block 220/221.

4. When we asked for receipt and ask him how much, 3 times, he refused to answer at pointed at the meter on the top , that indicated $8.68. Of cos my HK friend, gave him $ 10, cos the meter show S$ 8.68, then he pointed to another meter ,saying we are blind !!!!!

5. I was equally shocked at his attitude, and I replied, we asked you 3 times and you refused to answer.

6. and he said, he was not happy at the short trip, and indicated additional tips. " Today he is dammed swayed " he said.

7. I told him, I we have paid the airport surcharge and airport tips, what more tips he wants ? Furthermore, he has put us in a dangerous state at the PIE and TPE.

8. We asked for receipt then, but he refused to give initially, and claimed he cannot understand and also he could not hear. Took his time to print a receipt unwillingly. I asked him 2 times for it.

I had no choice and told him we are making a report for his dangerous driving as well as his rudeness and that he disgraced Singapore Taxi drivers and damaging the image of Singapore and he challenged us to make not only to Taxi company , but also to MOT Minister and STB.

In all, we spoke to him in English. As we alighted, he refused to drive off and wanted to see which block are going to.

My HK friend, was extremely disturbed, terrified shocked at such attitudes by this taxi Drive. After such a tiring trip, certainly , we deserve a homecoming and welcoming stance to Singapore.

Dear Minister Lui, and all, kindly look and take the necessary action against this taxi driver, as all the issues above were terrifying and have done alot of damage to Singapore, in the view of HK visitor and us, a horrifying experience.

Singapore Ministries have done very much to bring in visitorship of business visitors and tourists , and hereby marred and make such embrassments to foreigners by this Taxi Driver.

We are not at all surprised at this driver's behaviour. In fact, many of them go to Changi Airport expecting to pick up passengers who will be heading to Jurong  or town area - as if there are no residents in the Eastern are who will go overseas! The driver here dares you to report him precisely because many of us 'just let it go' time and time again. In all probability, this driver has got away with such behaviour so many times that he is now so bold as to challenge you to go ahead and 'report to the minister'. Therein lies the problem - if we allow an instance of bad behaviour to pass as 'once off', the accumulation of such 'free passes' will lead to the belief that drivers can get away with dishing out rubbish service. If you have not yet done so, the appropriate platform to highlight this incident would be to lodge a complaint with LTA using their easy-to-fill online feedback form.