Taxi drivers find
ways and means to safeguard themselves
Jinny Koh
[email protected]
Some taxi drivers have taken matters into their own hands
when it comes to their own personal safety. Some have resorted to
not wearing seatbelts for a quick getaway, some keep packets of
chilli powder with them, while others refuse to pick up passengers
whom they feel are suspect. And many do not file police reports
even if they have been attacked.
All these go against the rules and
regulations cabbies have to abide by. But taxi drivers Today
spoke to say they have no choice but to resort to such
measures.
Cabbie Benny Ong, 51, said that when he was attacked in
his taxi, his first thought was: "How to retaliate when the
attacker is a passenger?" It was only when the attacker disembarked
from the taxi challenging him to a fight, that Mr Ong drove
away.
However, he did not make a police report, as he felt it
was too much trouble. "I could use the time to drive and earn more
money instead," he said.
Citing similar reasons, cabbie Zhuo Zhong Lim, 51, did not
file a report after he was punched and robbed a few years ago. He
added that he knew many taxi drivers who would not make police
reports after such encounters.
According to the police, the number of reported taxi
robberies has risen from 24 to 49 between 2006 and last year. There
were 14 reported cases from January to March this year, while
anecdotal evidence points to a larger number as many of these cases
go unreported.
However, Today understands from the police
that it is a standard procedure for every crime victim, including
taxi drivers, to file a police report.
Meanwhile, taxi operators have also set up their own standard
operating procedures (SOPs) to assist cabbies in distress.
Mr Tan Soon Chye, general manager for Prime Taxi, said drivers
have been told to alert the company immediately when they feel
uneasy about a passenger. A broadcast will be made to all taxis
around that area, "acting as a psychological deterrent for the
robber sitting in the cab knowing he is being monitored".
However, cabbies told Today such measures cannot be relied upon
when an attack happens — by then, it would be too late.
A 59-year-old cabbie, who wanted to be known as Mr Tan S L, has
not been wearing his seat belt during the night shift for more than
10 years. He feels potential robbers could easily hold it against
his neck, preventing him from escaping.
Today understands that this is a practice adopted by many
cabbies.
Prime Taxi's Mr Tan reiterated that the use of safety belts
cannot be compromised as it is in the interest of drivers to belt
up. "The possibility of them getting into an accident, with the
long hours they spend on the road, is much higher than them being
attacked by a robber," he said.
Another rule being flouted by cabbies seems to be their refusal
to pick people they deem dubious or suspicious-looking at secluded
and notorious areas. Under the Land Transport Authority
(LTA) act, it is an offence for drivers to decline to pick up a
passenger without a reasonable excuse, and they can face six
demerit points, a $300 fine and a two-week suspension. But
cabbies say the penalty is a small price to pay.
"Better to be safe than sorry," said Mr Ong, who admitted he is
wary of shabbily-dressed passengers.
So, what can cabbies do as they struggle to strike a balance
between their lives and their livelihoods? Some drivers suggested
closed-circuit cameras in taxis, so that passengers know they are
being watched.
Operators are not in favour of such measures. Group Corporate
Communications Officer for ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited, Ms
Tammy Tan, said that surveillance cameras may be a deterrent, but
there is a need to balance it with the privacy of the
passengers.
And for those cabbies, where flouting rules is not a risk they
want to take, cabbie Johari Saleh, 43, seems to have found the
answer. He keeps a packet of chilli powder beside him all the time,
which he could throw at a potential attacker.
Besides taxi drivers, bus drivers have recently been in the news
for being attacked. Last June, SBS Transit put up posters in all
its 2,800 buses and interchanges urging the public to stop attacks
on bus drivers after receiving 18 such reports in the first half of
the year.
(Source: Weekend TODAY - April 26, 2008)