Taxi fare refusal sparks debate over cashless payment

A man who tried to board a taxi without cash was turned away by every driver in a taxi queue, with one also declining the trip after hearing his destination.

The incident, captured in a point-of-view (POV) video shared by TikToker @shayshow1 on July 1, has sparked debate online over whether it’s legal for taxi drivers to reject passengers based on their payment method or destination.

In the clip, titled “Rejection therapy”, shayshow1 approaches five taxis at a taxi stand at an undisclosed location.

The first driver tells him it’s cash only, which the man says he does not have. The second rejects him when he states his destination as “Little India”. The remaining three drivers also turn him down after learning that he intends to pay by card.

Laughing, the TikToker remarked: “This can’t be real,” before ending the video with: “You should always carry cash.”

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Although the post did not disclose the location, Stomp confirmed that the video was recorded at a taxi stand in Bedok. The exact time of the incident is unknown.

The video has so far garnered more than 86,100 views and 3,270 reactions.

The video was also shared on Facebook page Singapore Incidents where it has received more than 34,000 views, 220 reactions and 110 comments, and on Reddit, where it sparked further discussion.

‘Dinosaurs driving cars’: Netizen

Many netizens questioned whether cab drivers were allowed to reject passengers for requiring cashless payment.

“Wow, this is actually ridiculous… dinosaurs driving cars,” said a TikTok user.

“I thought we practise going cashless? Now revert to cash only? GG,” another wrote.

One TikToker suggested reporting the drivers.

“You can report each of them, you know, right? No excuses for the payment method as now PayNow (can be used) and all cards are accepted,” the user said.

Others offered possible explanations, pointing out that some drivers prefer cash because payment is immediate, whereas cashless transactions may take longer to be credited into their account.

A few also speculated that payment terminals could have been temporarily unavailable, although others felt it was unlikely that multiple taxis would experience the same issue at the same time.

Some netizens criticised the drivers’ behaviour.

“Yet they complain that PHV is taking away their rice bowl. Look at their attitude in the first place. Little India, don’t want to go, and only cash,” said a TikTok user.

“Little India cannot go, card cannot, what is this man? Might as well don’t work better,” said another.

There were also others who were puzzled as to why the original poster did not simply book a private-hire vehicle instead.

“How come never use Grab or Tada or Gojek? Seriously, I dunno what to say cos you’re now in Singapore leh,” commented a TikTok user.

Another agreed: “Could have saved the trouble entirely.”

An online check found that paragraph 25 of the Singapore Statutes Online states that taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a fare without reasonable excuse.

According to Trans-Cab’s website, taxi drivers who do so may face a $300 fine and receive six demerit points under the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) regulations.

Examples of fare refusal include rejecting passengers based on their destination, accepting only cash and refusing other payment modes, failing to stop when signalled by passengers while the taxi is available for hire, displaying an “available” rooftop sign while changing shifts, and rejecting fares because of personal booking jobs.

Passengers can offer feedback via LTA’s portal.

Stomp has reached out to the original poster for more information.