Upon entering the taxi, the driver was very friendly and reassured me that the ride will be smooth and fast. He offered me a copy of the newspaper and asked me to enjoy the ride. I was impressed and 'wowed' by the level of service. However, as I was reading the paper, I soon came to realise that the taxi was driving along the CTE towards Yio Chu Kang and Yishun. He eventually turned off at the TPE.

I asked the driver where he was heading. He claimed that this was the fastest way towards the airport. I was flabbergasted and revealed that I am a Singaporean. He immediately apologised and claimed that he thought that I was a foreigner and offered to 'settle' the situation with me.

Upon reaching the airport, the taxi fare meter showed about $22. I wanted to pay for the fare and demanded a receipt. However, the taxi driver cancelled off the reading on the meter and insisted on taking only $15 from me.

I have called Comfort to lodge a complaint but nobody has responded to me even after a week. I am certain that this is not an isolated incident and I feel that some taxi drivers are giving the country a really bad name.

We spend millions of dollars advertising Singapore as a destination of choice but some of our taxi drivers are certainly taking our guests for a joyride.

Tan Hong Jin

Hong Kong