Man calls out Tada driver for charging parents extra $5 to drop them off 200m from destination

[UPDATED,  Aug 31]

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Tada said that, to date, they have not received any formal report from the customer regarding the mentioned trip.

Additionally, they confirmed that no additional charges were incurred beyond the standard fare for the trip in question.

"We are actively engaging with both the driver and the customer to gain a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding the trip," Tada added.

He thought it was a normal occurrence for ride-hailing apps to not always display the desired drop-off location.

Hence, one man was shocked when a private-hire driver charged his parents an extra $5 for dropping them off 200 metres from the pinned destination.

Facebook user Jay Chen recently took to the Complaint Singapore page to express his discontent after his parents were made to pay extra by a Tada driver for requesting to be dropped off at Lobby F instead of Lobby A in New Tech Park. 

Chen shared that he booked his parents a Tada ride from Yishun to New Tech Park on Saturday (Aug 26).

And since there were no options on the app to select their desired drop-off point, his parents proceeded with the default location set by Tada — Lobby A. 

When they reached New Tech Park however, the couple asked the driver to let them alight at Lobby F instead.

"The driver demanded an extra $5 as the booking drop-off point did not indicate Lobby F. He claimed he is incurring extra $5 worth of fuel charges for driving that 200m," Chen wrote.

Chen, who had booked rides to the same destination via Tada multiple times, said that this was the first time a driver had asked for an additional fee. 

A driver himself, Chen pointed out that the short drive between the two lobbies did not warrant the extra payment.

In his Facebook post, he provided his contact details and wrote: "To the driver — If you have any slight conscience please contact me [to make] an apology to my parents."

Chen's post received close to 100 comments, with some agreeing with him that the Tada driver should not have charged $5 for the short distance. 

On the other hand, some netizens felt that the driver should be compensated for going the extra distance. One Facebook user even commented: "PHV drivers are out to earn a living not to do charity work."

"To you it is just 200m, to us we lose a job," stated another user, who shared how every minute counts during peak hours with back-to-back bookings.

AsiaOne did a quick check on Tada app and found that when booking a ride to New Tech Park, there was no option to select a specific lobby as a drop-off point.

However, the ride-hailing app has an option called 'Note to driver' that one can use to communicate with with the driver.

On Tada's website, it is stated that any request for additional stop(s) after the trip has started will be subjected to additional charges.

From 0 to 5km, an extra of $5 will be charged to the fare for economy rides and $10 for premium rides.

'Have not received any formal report from customer': Tada

When contacted by AsiaOne, Tada said that it prioritises a fair and equitable environment for all members of their community.

"To date, we have not received any formal report from the customer regarding the mentioned trip. Additionally, we can confirm that no additional charges were incurred beyond the standard fare for the trip in question," said the company.

"In our continued commitment to transparency and excellence, we are actively engaging with both the driver and the customer to gain a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding the trip."

AsiaOne has reached out to Chen for comment. 

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com