The date of the taxi incident: 16 Oct 2009
Pickup point: Far East Plaza
Time of boarding taxi: 5.25pm
Destination: Sengkang
Time alighting from taxi: 6.40pm
Don’t worry,you didn’t read wrongly. Please don’t rub your eyes in disbelief and rest assured you are not suffering from blurred vision. I boarded a SMRT taxi at Far East Plaza around 5.25 pm and reached my destination in Sengkang at 6.40pm. A trip that would usually take 20 mins for the ride but in this case, a total of 1 hour and 15 min!!! If I had wanted to take my own sweet time, I would have taken public transport. It would have been a faster journey minus the heartache.
The fare ? –
FORTY
DOLLARS !!
On boarding the SMRT taxi, I gave the driver my destination, Compass Point in Sengkang. The driver told me that he is not familiar with the location, I assured him that it is fine as I will guide him once we reached there. Though Singapore is not very big, I understand that it is sometimes possible to find that even taxi drivers, who drive for a living, may not be too familiar with some of the roads.
The time was already 6pm and I am cursing my bad luck. Pointedly I asked him why we were traveling towards Woodlands and waited for his answer. None was forthcoming, instead there was a lot of incoherent mumbling on his part. Immediately I gave instructions to exit by Woodland Ave 12, make a u-turn back to the SLE, switch to the TPE and then onwards to Sengkang. I was shocked that at this point, the driver still had the cheek to tell me he didn’t know the way and I was the one who insisted on taking his taxi! That got me really mad and frustrated, I couldn’t help pointing out to him that he could have told me NOT TO BOARD the taxi in the first place.
Holding back my anger, I was careful to ask my driver in a nice tone, “Do you know the way back to the SLE and TPE? The simple answer: NO (frankly I felt like crying at this point in time). What? We actually ended up in Woodlands travelling on those two expressways and he did not know the way! To make matters worse, he resumed his mumbling, now louder and coherent, insisting he already told me he did not know the way, he is a part-time driver and pointing out yet again I was the one who wanted to board his taxi.
I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore and shouted at him: “ You are a taxi driver, you do not know the way to CTE, you do not know the way to Ang Mo Kio, do not know the way to the SLE and do not know the way to the TPE. Yet you are driving a taxi? My god, his answer was a string of mumbling again which I could not make out. I couldn’t take this nonsense anymore and made a call to the SMRT hotline to complain.
While talking to the customer service officer on the phone, the driver did something totally unexpected. Instead of proceeding up the TPE, he suddenly made a left turn to Seletar West road,(a rather deserted road with no vehicles in view). I asked the driver where he was going and he told me he did not know the way, again. Out of the blue, he said he wanted to drop me off somewhere to take another taxi. I never saw this coming, not after I had clearly and patiently given him directions to proceed onto the TPE. This driver actually wanted to drop me off into a deserted area with no transportation!
Immediately I told him to make a u-turn back to the TPE (before we end up somewhere unfamiliar to me). Finally after much hardship, I made it to my destination in one piece, but totally sick and unhappy. Total time taken? 1 hour and 15 min.
Please note that all this while I requested for the customer service officer to stay on the line because I wanted her to hear the exchange between the driver and myself.
I was also advised by the customer service officer on the phone to pay the TOTAL FARE WHICH WAS $40 + she reassured me that my complaint had been noted and someone from SMRT taxi will contact me regarding this incident.
I remembered asking the driver along the way what was the reason for him still leaving the meter fare running. I couldn’t catch some of his mumblings. But I am certain I heard very clearly when he said I can complain all I want as he doesn’t need this job anyway.
On reaching my destination, Compass Point, I wanted a printed receipt as a record. The driver offered to give me a HANDWRITTEN RECEIPT instead. When I asked him the reason for not giving me a printed receipt, his surprising reply: he’s afraid the “ the fare might be gone if not careful”.
What? I have to deduce that he doesn’t even know how to print a receipt, the only logical answer I can imagine. Or are there other reasons? He was reluctant to write out the receipt to reflect 6.40pm and instead wanted to indicate 6.30pm as the alighting time (as if the 10 mins will made a big difference!). Once again I insisted on having the printed receipt as well, aware that it records critical information such as total mileage travelled in addition to the time and fare.
Sure enough, after fumbling with the meter controls, the total fare amount is gone and the meter had been reset thus unable to do printing. I do not know whether this is deliberate or the driver really doesn’t know how to print a receipt? I really don’t have the answer. As advised by the customer service officer, I paid the total fare of $40 to the driver (as written on the receipt) and was told by the customer service officer again that someone from their office will contact me regarding this incident.
The taxi is my main mode of transportation for many years and I have met my share of terrible drivers during this time. But frankly speaking this is the first time I am experiencing this kind of ordeal, I find it very absurd and ridiculous. I am not a person who likes to complain but feel that I cannot keep quiet now, this incident, besides costing me a bomb, wasted a lot of my time and made me very very late for my appointment.
Till now I am still wondering how that SMRT taxi driver not be familiar with any of the direction for these few essential expressways. Like I said earlier, it is understandable for me to accept that drivers will not know certain road names and directions, after all how could one possibly know all the roads? But not knowing the way/directions to CTE, SLE and PIE, not to mention going towards WOODLANDS when the destination is SENGKANG is unacceptable. I am sure Singapore roads have no lack of roadsigns along the various expressways. Imagine if my nightmare driver were to pick up some tourists and keep telling them “ don’t know, don’t know and don’t know “. What kind of service standards are extending to them? Although he claimed to be a part time driver, it is not an excuse nor a valid reason. I believe something needs to be done.
Hopefully the guys from SMRT Taxis can give me an explanation.
FORTY
DOLLARS !!
CURIOUS ?
READ ON....
READ ON....
On boarding the SMRT taxi, I gave the driver my destination, Compass Point in Sengkang. The driver told me that he is not familiar with the location, I assured him that it is fine as I will guide him once we reached there. Though Singapore is not very big, I understand that it is sometimes possible to find that even taxi drivers, who drive for a living, may not be too familiar with some of the roads. After giving my assurance of help, I proceeded to give instructions and asked the driver if he knew how to travel by CTE and exit by Ang Mo Kio Ave 5. His hand gesture, indicating a u-turn (while mumbling on the way to CTE) assured me that he knew the direction. Sure enough, we did a u-turn at the traffic light at BORDERS and the taxi went on to the CTE. Seeing that we are now on the right direction, I closed my eyes for a short nap.
Imagine my rude shock when I woke up. We are on the SLE highway and I saw the Mandai Zoo!!! I had so many questions on my mind then. How on earth did I end up in Woodlands when I am supposed to go to Sengkang? Didn’t the driver look at the many road signs along the way for directions? There must be dozens of roads signs which shout WOODLANDS on the way so what’s the problem? I am sure any fool would know that Sengkang is nowhere near Woodlands, even one that doesn’t drive, much less a taxi driver.
The time was already 6pm and I am cursing my bad luck. Pointedly I asked him why we were traveling towards Woodlands and waited for his answer. None was forthcoming, instead there was a lot of incoherent mumbling on his part. Immediately I gave instructions to exit by Woodland Ave 12, make a u-turn back to the SLE, switch to the TPE and then onwards to Sengkang. I was shocked that at this point, the driver still had the cheek to tell me he didn’t know the way and I was the one who insisted on taking his taxi! That got me really mad and frustrated, I couldn’t help pointing out to him that he could have told me NOT TO BOARD the taxi in the first place.
Holding back my anger, I was careful to ask my driver in a nice tone, “Do you know the way back to the SLE and TPE? The simple answer: NO (frankly I felt like crying at this point in time). What? We actually ended up in Woodlands travelling on those two expressways and he did not know the way! To make matters worse, he resumed his mumbling, now louder and coherent, insisting he already told me he did not know the way, he is a part-time driver and pointing out yet again I was the one who wanted to board his taxi.
I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore and shouted at him: “ You are a taxi driver, you do not know the way to CTE, you do not know the way to Ang Mo Kio, do not know the way to the SLE and do not know the way to the TPE. Yet you are driving a taxi? My god, his answer was a string of mumbling again which I could not make out. I couldn’t take this nonsense anymore and made a call to the SMRT hotline to complain.
While talking to the customer service officer on the phone, the driver did something totally unexpected. Instead of proceeding up the TPE, he suddenly made a left turn to Seletar West road,(a rather deserted road with no vehicles in view). I asked the driver where he was going and he told me he did not know the way, again. Out of the blue, he said he wanted to drop me off somewhere to take another taxi. I never saw this coming, not after I had clearly and patiently given him directions to proceed onto the TPE. This driver actually wanted to drop me off into a deserted area with no transportation!
Immediately I told him to make a u-turn back to the TPE (before we end up somewhere unfamiliar to me). Finally after much hardship, I made it to my destination in one piece, but totally sick and unhappy. Total time taken? 1 hour and 15 min.
Please note that all this while I requested for the customer service officer to stay on the line because I wanted her to hear the exchange between the driver and myself.
I was also advised by the customer service officer on the phone to pay the TOTAL FARE WHICH WAS $40 + she reassured me that my complaint had been noted and someone from SMRT taxi will contact me regarding this incident.
I remembered asking the driver along the way what was the reason for him still leaving the meter fare running. I couldn’t catch some of his mumblings. But I am certain I heard very clearly when he said I can complain all I want as he doesn’t need this job anyway.
On reaching my destination, Compass Point, I wanted a printed receipt as a record. The driver offered to give me a HANDWRITTEN RECEIPT instead. When I asked him the reason for not giving me a printed receipt, his surprising reply: he’s afraid the “ the fare might be gone if not careful”.
What? I have to deduce that he doesn’t even know how to print a receipt, the only logical answer I can imagine. Or are there other reasons? He was reluctant to write out the receipt to reflect 6.40pm and instead wanted to indicate 6.30pm as the alighting time (as if the 10 mins will made a big difference!). Once again I insisted on having the printed receipt as well, aware that it records critical information such as total mileage travelled in addition to the time and fare.
Sure enough, after fumbling with the meter controls, the total fare amount is gone and the meter had been reset thus unable to do printing. I do not know whether this is deliberate or the driver really doesn’t know how to print a receipt? I really don’t have the answer. As advised by the customer service officer, I paid the total fare of $40 to the driver (as written on the receipt) and was told by the customer service officer again that someone from their office will contact me regarding this incident.
The taxi is my main mode of transportation for many years and I have met my share of terrible drivers during this time. But frankly speaking this is the first time I am experiencing this kind of ordeal, I find it very absurd and ridiculous. I am not a person who likes to complain but feel that I cannot keep quiet now, this incident, besides costing me a bomb, wasted a lot of my time and made me very very late for my appointment.
Till now I am still wondering how that SMRT taxi driver not be familiar with any of the direction for these few essential expressways. Like I said earlier, it is understandable for me to accept that drivers will not know certain road names and directions, after all how could one possibly know all the roads? But not knowing the way/directions to CTE, SLE and PIE, not to mention going towards WOODLANDS when the destination is SENGKANG is unacceptable. I am sure Singapore roads have no lack of roadsigns along the various expressways. Imagine if my nightmare driver were to pick up some tourists and keep telling them “ don’t know, don’t know and don’t know “. What kind of service standards are extending to them? Although he claimed to be a part time driver, it is not an excuse nor a valid reason. I believe something needs to be done.
Hopefully the guys from SMRT Taxis can give me an explanation.
Below is the Handwritten receipt issued to me
Actions Taken On My Side
Set up this blog to create more awareness to the public.
Submit story STOMP and hopefully they will publish it.
Send letter of complaint to LTA.
Send letter of complaint to SMRT TAXI feedback.
Meanwhile, I will be waiting smrt to call me.
DO YOU FIND THESE SIGNS UNREADABLE ???
