SINGAPORE – The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has withdrawn a warning issued to a taxi driver for failing to search his vehicle for a wallet accidentally left behind by his passenger.
It will also review the relevance of the rule that requires cabbies and private-hire drivers to search their vehicles immediately before or after the end of any journey for any property left behind by passengers, said labour MP Yeo Wan Ling in a Facebook post on Friday.
Ms Yeo, who is adviser to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association, said the taxi and private-hire community is concerned about the warning received by the driver.
Both associations had contacted LTA for an explanation on behalf of the community, added Ms Yeo, who is also MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
The incident sparked discussion online after the taxi driver took to Facebook page Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road to share his appeal against the letter of warning on Tuesday.
Said Ms Yeo: “LTA clarified that this is a longstanding rule, and serves as a good practice on the part of the driver.
“The LTA has decided to withdraw the warning letter and shared that the intent was to remind the driver of such good practices and the LTA has never prosecuted any driver for such breaches.”
She added that the associations and National Trades Union Congress believe that the safety of drivers must be a top priority, and their work conditions often do not allow them to search for items accidentally left behind by passengers in a safe and effective manner.
“While it is a good practice to have, it should not be an obligation that attracts penalties,” Ms Yeo said.
Speaking to Chinese-language paper Shin Min Daily News, the taxi driver who had been issued the letter said he had ferried two men and a woman from Rochor to Woodlands Checkpoint.
After they alighted, a male passenger boarded the car and the driver took him to Sembawang Community Club.
He then received a call from his company asking if there was a passenger who had left a wallet behind.
“I parked my car by the roadside and searched for the wallet, but I was unable to find it,” he told Shin Min.
He said his company then informed him that the owner of the wallet was one of the male passengers that he had ferried to Woodlands Checkpoint.
He said this was his first warning from LTA in the decade he has been a cab driver, and he was worried that he might lose his job if passengers made another complaint in future.
“Written warnings may be issued to drivers if necessary,” said LTA in response to queries from The Straits Times. Since 2010, LTA has issued five written warnings to drivers. These letters do not carry any penalty.
