Bus, taxi fare cheats could end up in jail
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COMMUTERS who cheat on bus and taxi fares could end up behind bars under proposed legislation to stamp out a problem that has dogged Singaporean transport operators for years.
Bus companies, for example, lose an estimated $9 million a year to fare cheats.
The penalties aimed at protecting bus firms and cabbies against cheats are similar to those provided by the Rapid Transit Systems Act for rail operators.
Typically, a dishonest commuter taps his ez-link card on the exit reader well before his intended stop. This way, he is charged a lower fare.
Under proposed amendments to the Public Transport Council Act introduced in Parliament yesterday, bus commuters found by council-appointed inspectors to have paid incorrect fares will face a penalty charge.
Those who fail to pay this yet-to-be-determined charge face fines of up to $1,000. Repeat offenders face up to $2,000 in fines and risk a jail term of up to six months.
SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'The proposed changes take into account the fact that our drivers get cheated, whether intentionally or not. While the majority of our customers do not cheat, there is a small proportion who do, and they are penalising those who pay the full fare.'
Currently, those caught underpaying bus fares will only be required to make up the difference, said Ms Tan, who hopes the proposed changes 'will deter incidences of fare misuse'.
Those who cheat cabbies will be dealt with more swiftly.
They immediately face a fine of $1,000 for the first offence, and $2,000 or a jail term of up to six months for subsequent offences.
'The new section 24D criminalises the failure to pay taxi fares,' says an explanatory note accompanying the proposed legislation.
According to ComfortDelGro, which controls 77 per cent of Singapore's 22,000 taxis, its cabbies face more than 40 cases of non-payment a month.
Veteran cabby C K Chan, 53, said he feels powerless when a fare does not pay. 'I think some of these people know that we can't do anything to them. This new law should make things better.'
Other proposed amendments include a five-year operator licence for bus companies.
Currently, bus operators apply for annual route licences. The extra requirement is expected to give the Public Transport Council more teeth to enforce service standards -
when EZ-link card overcharged, shd bus driver go to jail also ? knn
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Sept 20, 2005
Bus driver left 12-year-old girl stranded because she didn't have enough fare
My 12-year-old daughter takes bus service No. 13 at bus-stop B16 Upper East Coast Road and gets off at bus-stop B04 Changi Road to head for home at Block 842, Sims Avenue after her mathematics tuition.
She had lost her EZlink card and was told to pay $1 for the journey home the first time she took a bus. She had been taking this service for the past nine months and had been paying $1 each time she took it.
On Sept 10, she boarded bus number 13 at bus-stop B16 Upper East Coast Road at around 2pm. She was told by the driver that she had to pay $1.30 for the journey home. Unfortunately, she did not bring extra money and told the driver.
The driver dropped her off at bus-stop B02 Marine Terrace. Stranded with no money, my daughter had to walk all the way home. Fortunately, she was sensible enough to follow the main road and find her way back.
This experience has not only traumatised by daughter who now fears taking the public bus alone, it has also shaken my family's trust and confidence in our public bus service.
My husband and I are appalled that the bus driver had dropped my daughter far from home just for 30 cents without any regard for her safety.
Why do bus-drivers quote different fares to my daughter for the same distance travelled? Is it not true that the fare that a commuter pays is determined by the distance travelled and not is left to the discretion of the bus-driver?
Is this a case of victimising a young and naive girl? Was the 30 cents more important to the driver than the safety of a twelve-year-old girl? In a job where one deals with the public, couldn't the bus driver have exercised better judgement?
I am sure there are many parents like us who allow our children to take public transport alone, believing that the safety of our children will not be jeopardised at any cost.
I would like the Singapore Bus Service to answer my queries and educate their drivers so as to avoid a mishap in future and risk losing the confidence of parents like us.
M. Sainava Buang (Mdm) -
This articles is extracted from which newspaper?Originally posted by crazy monkey:Sept 20, 2005
Bus driver left 12-year-old girl stranded because she didn't have enough fare
My 12-year-old daughter takes bus service No. 13 at bus-stop B16 Upper East Coast Road and gets off at bus-stop B04 Changi Road to head for home at Block 842, Sims Avenue after her mathematics tuition.
She had lost her EZlink card and was told to pay $1 for the journey home the first time she took a bus. She had been taking this service for the past nine months and had been paying $1 each time she took it.
On Sept 10, she boarded bus number 13 at bus-stop B16 Upper East Coast Road at around 2pm. She was told by the driver that she had to pay $1.30 for the journey home. Unfortunately, she did not bring extra money and told the driver.
The driver dropped her off at bus-stop B02 Marine Terrace. Stranded with no money, my daughter had to walk all the way home. Fortunately, she was sensible enough to follow the main road and find her way back.
This experience has not only traumatised by daughter who now fears taking the public bus alone, it has also shaken my family's trust and confidence in our public bus service.
My husband and I are appalled that the bus driver had dropped my daughter far from home just for 30 cents without any regard for her safety.
Why do bus-drivers quote different fares to my daughter for the same distance travelled? Is it not true that the fare that a commuter pays is determined by the distance travelled and not is left to the discretion of the bus-driver?
Is this a case of victimising a young and naive girl? Was the 30 cents more important to the driver than the safety of a twelve-year-old girl? In a job where one deals with the public, couldn't the bus driver have exercised better judgement?
I am sure there are many parents like us who allow our children to take public transport alone, believing that the safety of our children will not be jeopardised at any cost.
I would like the Singapore Bus Service to answer my queries and educate their drivers so as to avoid a mishap in future and risk losing the confidence of parents like us.
M. Sainava Buang (Mdm) -
Don't you think our public transport system sucks?
First, they have a public transport council who does not use the public transport (they drive). They decide the prices adjustment for the operators to make profit.
Which transport company is not making profit today???
Next, they have a Buangkok and Woodleigh Stations not in use? Spending taxpayers money to investigate the white elephants placards.
They have monitor at the bus interchanges to show the bus schedules as if they are flights. So what if there is a jam along the way, you gonna reach your destination perhaps 30 mins late. Is it necessary to spend this money?
Silly TV mobile where most commuters would never be able to finish watching a movie while travelling. How many ppl can watch where u have 2 small screens? Why not have some piped music instead.
Now for jus a mere 30 cents, they chase a 12 yr old girl off the bus. Wtf!
So now they going to put fare cheats to jail and then talk about the yellow ribbon programme! Haiz, where is this heading?
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This is the way Singapore operates.
No money, no honey.
In this case, no money, you walk.
And nobody will give a damn about you.
Why?
Because. You. Have. No. Money.
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no money no talk..
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stupid heartless society
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they dun cheat me can liao
i jus tap my ezlink card when i get on and off the bus
never check whether isit the right fare deducted onot.... -
students sometimes forget ezlink no money and then no change and then bus driver this type of attitude, no money u walk of cos they'll try to cheat lah
knn!!!!
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everything fine fine fine ... jail jail jaill ... nxt time step on ants ... also get jail ...
insects abuse ... -
bus cheats are ok, sometimes small kids got no cash to pay / forgot to tap.. its a small sum..
taxi cheats, on the otherhand are pathetic. taxi drivers work their heads off drivin the whole day desperately trying to cover their rental expenses..etc.. and people still dont wanna pay up.. -
What about the recurrent overcharging of ez-link users by the bus company? Shouldn't ComfortDelgro be put to jail?Originally posted by crazy monkey:COMMUTERS who cheat on bus and taxi fares could end up behind bars under proposed legislation to stamp out a problem that has dogged Singaporean transport operators for years.
Bus companies, for example, lose an estimated $9 million a year to fare cheats.
The penalties aimed at protecting bus firms and cabbies against cheats are similar to those provided by the Rapid Transit Systems Act for rail operators.
Typically, a dishonest commuter taps his ez-link card on the exit reader well before his intended stop. This way, he is charged a lower fare.
Under proposed amendments to the Public Transport Council Act introduced in Parliament yesterday, bus commuters found by council-appointed inspectors to have paid incorrect fares will face a penalty charge.
Those who fail to pay this yet-to-be-determined charge face fines of up to $1,000. Repeat offenders face up to $2,000 in fines and risk a jail term of up to six months.
How they expect the cabbies to bring fare cheats to justice? These cheats would normally ask the cabbies to wait for them to get money from home and then disappear. -
sg is a fine country ...
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Agreed X 2!Originally posted by lotus999:What about the recurrent overcharging of ez-link users by the bus company? Shouldn't ComfortDelgro be put to jail? -
Agreed X 2!Originally posted by lotus999:What about the recurrent overcharging of ez-link users by the bus company? Shouldn't ComfortDelgro be put to jail?
Next time dun take BMW liao take W only -
I think this stupid law to impose. It will really make the shareholder of those companies HAPPY.
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to begin with... nothing is done to make the people happy...
Didn't you read Dilbert...
When Employees are Unhappy, Stock Prices Will shoot to the sky...
Hence The stockHolders will be happy...
we are the employees ... -
this morning, glenn ong just proposed some crappy ideas..e.g. flat rate regardless of distance...put one security guard at the bus exit...
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By right, the VLS system should be smarter, can pick up ppl trying to scan the card at the same bus stop
As of overcharging, 1 suggestion, when you board the bus, do take a look at the fare stage as with when you alight. Any prob, tell the driver -
you think the driver care ?Originally posted by sbst275:By right, the VLS system should be smarter, can pick up ppl trying to scan the card at the same bus stop
As of overcharging, 1 suggestion, when you board the bus, do take a look at the fare stage as with when you alight. Any prob, tell the driver -
You can't say thisOriginally posted by crazy monkey:you think the driver care ?
The VLS reader they have, indicates the bus stop name... So if there is prob, he can correct it by manual updating -
by then too late $$ is oredi deducted.Originally posted by sbst275:You can't say this
The VLS reader they have, indicates the bus stop name... So if there is prob, he can correct it by manual updating -
Slow down your actions...Originally posted by crazy monkey:by then too late $$ is oredi deducted. -
wtf if you dun tap how you know the fare is deducted wrongly ?Originally posted by sbst275:Slow down your actions...