New policy aims to balance flexibility for riders with fairer treatment for drivers
Drivers from ride-hailing platform TADA will soon be able to receive compensation if passengers cancel a ride when the driver is close to the pickup point.
The National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) announced the revised policy in a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 11).
The changes aim to recognise the effort drivers have already committed to when picking up passengers.
Drivers compensated for cancelled trips
Under the updated policy, drivers will receive S$3 compensation if they have been travelling towards the pickup location for at least three minutes and are within 500m of the rider when the trip is cancelled.
Source: NPHVA on Facebook
A TADA spokesperson told MS News that the update was introduced to create a “fairer and more balanced experience for both riders and drivers”.
“The changes are intended to better reflect the time and effort drivers have already committed once they are on the way to a pickup point or have arrived,” they added.
However, TADA still wishes to provide riders the “flexibility to cancel without penalty in situations where a driver is still some distance away”.
Riders will now have to pay a S$2.50 cancellation fee.
However, riders who cancel within the first three minutes after being matched with a driver, or when the driver is still more than 500m away, will not be charged a fee.
The policy also sets out separate conditions once the driver has arrived at the pickup point.
If a rider cancels before the four-minute grace period ends, a S$2.50 fee will still apply. Cancelling after the grace period will continue to incur the existing S$5 cancellation fee.
Cleaning fee cap also raised for drivers
NPHVA also shared that TADA will be increasing the compensation cap for cleaning fees to S$150.
Currently, the maximum claimable reimbursement sits at $70 per incident.
Source: NPHVA on Facebook
The association said the adjustment better reflects the current market rates and ensures drivers receive more appropriate compensation if their vehicles require cleaning due to passenger-related incidents.
“NPHVA will continue to voice the concerns of the drivers on the roads,” the group added.
The new policies will take effect on March 18 at noon.
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Featured image adapted from TADA on Facebook.Â
