Woman locked in car for one hour by PHV driver after dispute over PayNow
A 53-year-old woman was allegedly locked inside a private-hire vehicle (PHV) for nearly an hour following a dispute over a PayNow payment, prompting police intervention.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred on the evening of 28 March.
Ms Wang, a freelancer, had booked a ride from Fajar Shopping Centre in Bukit Panjang to Chinatown via the Ryde platform, selecting the cash payment option.
Source: Nikkei Asia, for illustration purposes only
Encountered issues throughout the ride
Ms Wang told Shin Min Daily News that the experience was unpleasant from the start.
For starters, she claimed that the driver arrived 15 minutes late and did not respond to her messages while she was waiting.
Once the journey began, she alleged that the driver, a man in his 60s, drove “unusually slowly”, causing a trip that typically takes 30 minutes to last an hour.
Ms Wang also claimed the driver operated the vehicle with only one hand throughout the journey.
To make matters worse, he allegedly could not find the specific drop-off point, stopping at Amoy Street instead of the Club Street destination indicated in the booking.
Driver refuses to let passenger alight, demands cash
As she was already late for work, Ms Wang asked the driver to stop where they were.
She then attempted to pay the fare of approximately S$24 via PayNow, as she did not have enough cash on hand.
For illustration purposes only
However, the driver reportedly refused, claiming he could not remember the phone number linked to his PayNow account and insisted on cash.
He then locked the car doors, trapping Ms Wang inside.
Source: Abdulvahap Demir on Pexels, for illustration purposes only
“I told him I wasn’t refusing to pay, I just didn’t have cash on me,” Ms Wang recounted. “But he said he wanted me to have a criminal record for evading the fare and locked me in the vehicle.”
Police called to the scene
The standoff escalated until both parties eventually called for police assistance.
Officers arrived and mediated the situation, during which it was confirmed the driver did indeed have a PayNow account.
The driver eventually agreed to accept the electronic transfer, and the dispute finally concluded after nearly an hour.
Ms Wang noted that while she occasionally pays via PayNow despite selecting “cash” on the app, she had never encountered such a situation.
She also claimed that at one point, the driver offered to settle the matter for S$10, but she insisted on paying the full fare to ensure the transaction was proper.
Ryde suspends driver and investigates incident
In response to Shin Min Daily News’ queries, Ryde confirmed they are aware of the dispute and have launched an investigation.
A spokesperson stated that the driver has been suspended from the platform as a precautionary measure while the investigation is ongoing.
“We take all safety-related feedback very seriously and will take appropriate action according to platform standards once the investigation is complete,” the spokesperson added.
Ryde further clarified that while fares should follow the method selected at the time of booking, drivers are strictly prohibited from forcing a specific payment method on passengers.
Also read: Woman pinned to ground during scuffle with private-hire driver in suspected Whampoa parking dispute
Woman pinned to ground during scuffle with private-hire driver in suspected Whampoa parking dispute
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Featured image by TheSmartLocal and adapted from Abdulvahap Demir on Pexels, for illustration purposes only.
