GrabTaxi driver in dispute over $5 discount sacked, will take legal
action against female passenger
The GrabCar driver who quarrelled with his female passenger over a
$5 discount has been sacked by the company.
Mr Winson Tong, 35, was accused by Ms Adeline Lok, 29, of verbally
abusing and forcing her to alight from his vehicle last Wednesday
(July 29) morning when he was unable to verify an SG50 promotion
code that she attempted to use.
"After speaking to Winson and Adeline, we were able to confirm that
the driver had flouted the strict regulations and standards of
service we impose on all our drivers," said GrabTaxi in a statement
on Monday (Aug 3).
"While this is unfortunate and a last resort, we have banned him
from our GrabCar network.
"We take passenger safety and quality of service very seriously.
Though this is an isolated incident, we take every precaution to
ensure these remain so and we learn from each incident," the
statement added.
GrabCar is an alternative service offered by GrabTaxi using private
cars, instead of cabs.
In the latest twist to the saga, however, Mr Tong, who had only
been a GrabCar driver for two weeks, told The Straits Times that he
plans to take legal action against Ms Lok for defamation.
"I intend to pursue this matter and will be seeking legal advice
from a lawyer," said Mr Tong. "She has shamed me unfairly online
and marred my reputation over a trivial issue."
Ms Lok, who is self-employed, on July 29 told her side of the
story on Facebook, which has been shared more than 4,200
times.
Among other things, she accused Mr Tong of insulting and
threatening her, and had lodged a complaint with GrabTaxi about his
behaviour.
The police was also called in, although they did not get involved
in the dispute.
Both parties involved have claimed innocence, with Mr Tong saying
that he never threatened his passenger. He also maintains that it
was not his fault that he was unable to verify the promotion code,
blaming it on technical issues suffered by GrabTaxi.
Ms Lok also wrote a follow-up Facebook
post in response to netizens who criticised her for
blowing up the issue on social media.
When informed of Mr Tong's intention to seek legal redress, Ms Lok
said in an SMS message: "I will see him in court if need be."
