PHV Driver Calls the Police After Riders Refuse to Pay “Extra” for Drop-Off at 2 Locations

From exorbitant Grab prices to CDG Zig drivers “ghosting” ride-hailers, we’ve all had our fair share of bad experiences with ride-hailing apps.

This time, TADA presents itself as a contender. A TADA driver called the police after riders refused to pay him extra money for a dual-location drop-off.

PHV Driver Requests Extra Sum from Riders for Dual-Location Drop-Off

On Tuesday (12 September), Hoan Messi shared a post on the Facebook group COMPLAINT SINGAPORE that had Singaporeans livid.

Hoan, a foreigner who has been living and working in Singapore for nearly four years, recounted his experience dealing with a PHV driver from the ride-hailing app TADA. The driver had allegedly requested an extra sum for dual-location drop-offs.

Here’s how it happened.

On Sunday (10 September), slightly past 10 pm, Hoan and two friends were looking for a TADA ride home after finishing a Ministry of Manpower-organised football match at 10 Penjuru Road.

The trio booked two drop-off locations, one in Orchard and the other in Bedok. Specifically, the first drop-off is at YOTEL Singapore at Orchard Road, and the second is at 85 Bedok North Street 4.

According to the TADA app, the ride would cost $31 in total.

Relatively straightforward lah, right?

No, wrong.

According to Hoan, after the TADA driver dropped his friend off at YOTEL Orchard, the driver declined to go to the second drop-off location at Bedok, claiming that the $31 ride fare only covered the first drop-off.

Huh? Gong simi? 

Instead, the driver requested Hoan to pay an additional $30 to be driven to the second drop-off location, adding that Bedok was “too far” and that Hoan and his friend were “play[ing]” the driver.

PHV Driver Called the Police; Police Requested Riders to Pay Additional Sum to Driver

Yet, that was not the end of it. When Hoan and his friend declined to pay the additional sum to be driven to Bedok, the TADA driver called the police.

While waiting for the police to arrive, the TADA driver continued his tirade. The driver went to the extent of saying that the riders had a “really bad smell” and that, thanks to the riders, he now had to find the “time and money to clean” the car seats.

Some netizens latched onto this and remarked that the driver may have asked for an extra sum as the riders were foreigners—the driver might have thought that foreigners didn’t know better.

Subsequently, when the police arrived, the officers urged the riders to pay the PHV driver first before lodging a report with TADA.

By this time, it was already around 11:30 pm—it was late, and the riders wanted to get some rest before work the following day. As a result, the riders acquiesced and paid the driver an additional $30 to be driven to Bedok.

In total, the riders spent $61 on what was supposed to be a $31 ride.

Bo hua…

First Time Rider Had Such an Experience with Ride-Hailing Apps

This was the first time Hoan had such an experience with a PHV driver. In all his prior experiences being driven by PHV drivers, the drivers were “kind and friendly”.

Hoan recounts one experience where a PHV driver went out of his way to safeguard Hoan and his friends’ wellbeing after they booked a ride drunk—the driver passed Hoan tissues, constantly checked on Hoan, and remained patient despite the riders having puked on the ride.

Well, I guess there are all sorts of drivers on ride-hailing apps. With any hope, Hoan and his friends will have avenues of recourse.

Driver Charges Additional $5 for Drop-Off in Another Lobby of Same Building

This is far from the first time PHV drivers from TADA have come under fire for charging additional fees that appear ungrounded.

Last month, an elderly couple pua stun when their TADA driver asked for an additional payment of $5 for drop-off at another lobby of the same building.

Apparently, the booking drop-off point was at Lobby A of New Tech Park. However, the elderly couple verbally requested to be dropped off at Lobby F.

$5 to travel an additional 200m? Wah. You might as well walk. 

You can read more about this here.