‘$40 to Geylang?’ Chinese netizen says S’pore taxi drivers overcharge ‘like bandits’
A Chinese netizen’s post accusing a Singapore taxi driver of charging like a “bandit” has gone viral, with netizens divided over the matter.
TikToker @user4402449628661 shared a video of the incident on March 22, titled: “Taxis in Singapore charge exorbitant prices, just like bandits.”
The 12-second clip shows a Strides Premier taxi driver adjusting and fastening his seatbelt as the man filming from outside the vehicle asks in Mandarin: “You want $40 for a trip to Geylang, big brother?”
“That’s what you said,” the taxi driver replies as he drives off.
“You want to steal my money? You want to steal my money? F*** you!” the man shouts after him in Mandarin.
The incident appears to have taken place at a taxi stand at Marina Bay Sands. It is unclear if the driver had actually quoted that fare.
The video has since garnered more than 63,300 views, 470 reactions and 200 comments.
Netizens divided over fare
Some netizens were surprised that the taxi driver did not use the meter, which is required by law.
“Since when Singapore taxi stop using meter?” asked a TikToker.
“Overcharging is an offence!!!” another wrote.
Several suggested using ride-hailing apps instead.
“Can just use private hire app like Grab, Gojek and Tada. Should be better,” suggested a netizen, while others recommended reporting the driver to the Land Transport Authority.
However, some pointed out that taxis can be harder to find late at night, especially in areas with heavy foot traffic.
“After 1am, it’s hard to get a taxi in many drinking areas, so taxi drivers like this one arbitrarily quote prices – which is quite normal,” a netizen said, though such practices are against the law.
Others felt the quoted fare was reasonable given the time and location.
“Midnight and from MBS maybe have $30+++ easily. You try using grab midnight at MBS,” said a netizen.
“$40 is cheap.... must be in a high-demand period,” another added.
Some netizens were critical of the man who filmed the video.
“Don’t take a taxi if you don’t have money,” one TikToker said.
Stomp has reached out to Strides Premier for comment.
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