Upon arriving to pick up a few passengers, a TADA private-hire driver realised they had a toddler amongst them.
As she did not have a booster seat in her vehicle, the driver turned down the passengers and requested they cancel the trip. In response, one of the passengers allegedly offered S$4 for the driver to pick the group up.
The driver insisted on the ride cancellation either way, pointing out it would be against the law for her to proceed with the trip.
Posting to the Professional PHV Drivers Singapore: Grab, Gojek,Tada n Ryde Facebook group, the OP shared that the incident occurred on Sunday (5 May) in Loyang.
Source: Facebook
The driver said she immediately pointed out the toddler’s height and said she was unable to pick them up.
According to the Road Traffic Act, children who are shorter than 1.35m have to be “properly secured” when onboard Private Hire Vehicles (PHV). This can be achieved through a child restraint or a body-restraining seat belt.
To the driver’s shock, the female passenger claimed that this was allowed.
When asked if she had a child seat, the woman became “defensive” and insisted that the driver take them in as all her previous drivers had done so.
The woman claimed that she only had to pay an extra S$4 in those scenarios.
“I will pay you $4 and you can take me!” she allegedly said.
Apologising, the OP turned her down and pointed out that she did not have a booster seat. To this, the woman claimed, “There’s no such thing as a child seat!”
At this point, the PHV driver noted that she nearly began doubting herself, wondering if there was something she was unaware of regarding the law.
“I just insisted sorry, I really can’t take you, please cancel and book the correct ride,” the OP continued. “Then she insisted again! It’s just a short distance!”
In response, the OP told her to look up the law regarding the requirements for ferrying passengers who are below 1.35m.
She added that she did not wish to break the law, unlike the other drivers who had transported them.
The woman eventually agreed to cancel the trip. This prompted the OP to infer that the passenger was aware of the law and that she merely wanted to “try her luck”.
Source: Facebook
She also attached a picture of the child to illustrate her point about the toddler’s height.
Source: Facebook
Another attachment showed that the driver had filed a report against the passenger and urged TADA to investigate the issue.
MS News has reached out to the OP for more information.
In response to MS News queries, a TADA spokesperson said that children below 1.35m are legally required to be secured in an “appropriate” child restraint device when travelling in PHVs.
The representative added that riders can opt for a “Family” option through the app, which allows them to book a ride equipped with a child seat.
Albeit at the cost of a “nominal fee”, the option ensures that everyone on board enjoy a “safe and comfortable journey”, said the spokesperson.
Also read: S’pore Man With Child Called Out For Booking Car Without Booster Seat As It’s Against The Law
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
The last time this happened was on 21 Oct.
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