Woman locked in private hire car for nearly an hour after driver refuses PayNow payment
A Ryde passenger’s attempt to pay for her ride with PayNow ended in a nearly hour-long standoff after the driver allegedly refused to accept the payment and locked the car doors until police arrived.
Ms Wang (transliterated), a 53-year-old freelancer, told Shin Min Daily News that she booked a private hire ride via the Ryde platform from Fajar Shopping Centre in Bukit Panjang to Chinatown on the evening of March 28, selecting cash payment through the app.
“The driver was 15 minutes late. I was almost late for work, and when I messaged him, he didn’t reply. During the ride, he drove extremely slowly. A journey that normally takes about 30 minutes ended up taking an hour,” she said.
She added that the driver, a man in his 60s, drove with one hand on the steering wheel and was unable to locate her drop-off point.
“The drop-off point I indicated was Club Street, but he stopped at Amoy Street and told me we had arrived.”
Driver refuses to accept PayNow payment
In a rush to get to work, Ms Wang said she indicated she would pay the fare, which amounted to $24, via PayNow.
However, the driver claimed he had forgotten the mobile number linked to his PayNow account and insisted on cash. He allegedly locked the car doors and refused to let her alight.
“I told him I wasn’t refusing to pay, just that I didn’t have cash. But he said he would report me for fare evasion and kept me in the car,” she said.
Police called to mediate
Both parties called the police. When officers arrived and mediated the situation, the driver accepted payment via PayNow after nearly an hour.
Photos provided by Ms Wang show the driver standing next to a Honda sedan with two police officers at the scene.
Stomp has reached out to Ryde for comment.
Driver had PayNow account
Ms Wang said she was unable to go to work that day. She added that the police later found that the driver did have a PayNow account, leaving her confused.
“I don’t understand why he refused at first. At one point he even suggested I just pay $10, but I paid the full fare,” she said.
She added that on previous bookings through the platform, she had selected “cash payment” but paid via PayNow, and most drivers accepted it without issue.
Other drivers generally accept PayNow
Other private hire drivers told Shin Min they typically accept both cash and PayNow.
Mr Wong (transliterated), 56, said: “Just make sure both parties agree and the fare goes through.”
Mr Zeng (transliterated), 55, said he also accepts both payment methods but understands why some drivers prefer cash.
“These days, you never know. Some passengers promise PayNow but don’t transfer, or even leave without paying. By the time we check the transfer, they’re already gone.”
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