Police called in after cabby refuses to pick up drunk passengers at Chinatown

A taxi driver got into an argument with two men after he declined to ferry them to their destination.

The reason for his refusal? Because the men reeked of alcohol, reported Shin Min Daily News.

An eyewitness surnamed Deng said he saw two men in their 40s and 50s and a Trans-Cab driver being questioned by the police when he passed by a taxi stand near the OG department store in Chinatown at about 5.30pm last Saturday (June 22).

"I believe they had a dispute, and someone called the police," he added. "When I walked past [the area] again at 6pm, they had left."

According to the Chinese evening daily, nobody was injured, and the discourse was settled privately.

A Trans-Cab spokesperson told Shin Min that the company regrets the unpleasant experience. They added that their drivers can only refuse service when they are changing shifts.

It is an offence for taxi drivers to refuse to pick up passengers without valid reasons, according to a media reply by LTA in 2019.

The offence carries a composition sum of $300, six demerit points, and a possible two-week suspension of their vocational licence, said LTA then. The rule is "spelt out clearly" to every driver at the point of receiving their taxi licences. 

Other taxi drivers weigh in

Several cabbies who spoke to Shin Min pointed out the regulation against cherry picking passengers, but said they could relate to the dilemma of not wanting to pick up drunk customers.

One taxi driver surnamed Chen, 62, said fellow drivers can ferry drunk passengers who are emotionally charged or physically aggressive to the police station.

"In view of our safety, we can go to the police station for help. Working in the service industry, it is inevitable that we will encounter such passengers, especially drivers working the night shift who are more likely to encounter drunk people or hooligans," he added.

A cabby surnamed Liang, 58, said a drunk passenger had once vomited all over his car, and he had to clean it up himself.

"After that, I couldn't keep my food down and vomited twice... I later stopped working night shifts."

Another driver surnamed Li, 63, noted that drunk passengers may fall asleep and not wake up to pay the fare, causing them to waste time and lead to losses.

"If I see a passenger walking unsteadily along the road, I generally won't stop," he said.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com