Ryde temporarily suspends 5-star driver who left sick passenger 'waiting forever'
A Ryde customer was left in the lurch after his driver apparently went missing in action for more than 10 hours.
The incident left Stomper Kenneth questioning the ride-hailing platform's cancellation policy.
Kenneth told Stomp on May 24: "I waited for a driver who accepted my request that remained stationary and uncontactable for over 10 hours, from 11.15pm till 9.14am the next day.
"I could not cancel and re-book because of the $6.50 fee.
"I ended up having to wait forever. I could not go home to take my medication when I was already feeling sick, having just been discharged from Changi General Hospital."
Kenneth shared his thoughts on the cancellation fee rule: "Ryde should review it. Why punish your customer? If we cancel after three minutes, it must be for a genuine reason."
In response to a Stomp query, a spokesman from Ryde said: "We take all feedback seriously and have conducted a thorough internal review."
According to the spokesman, the case concerns a single trip and is an isolated incident with no prior issues linked to the rider's account.
He added: "The driver, who holds a consistent five-star rating with no past violations, has been temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure pending further investigation. We have requested a formal explanation and will reinforce our standards of professional conduct.
"Our support team responded promptly to the rider with findings and clarification. While we have not received further correspondence, we remain available to assist should any additional questions arise."
Ryde maintains strict platform safeguards including real-time monitoring, rider feedback review and regulatory compliance, said the spokesman, adding: "We are also reviewing this case to identify areas for improvement.
"Based on current findings, we believe this is an isolated case. We remain committed to fair, timely resolution of all rider concerns and to continually strengthening trust across our community."
