By KHUSTWANT SINGH

A CAB driver allegedly charged two "tourists" a flat $20 fee for a trip from Marine Parade to Changi Airport and did not turn on his meter.

By doing so, Lee Ngiap Han, 55, is believed to have gone against traffic rules governing all taxi drivers, overcharging his passengers by $10.60 and failing to have the meter in operation during the journey.

Instead of settling the matter by paying a $500 composition fine and receiving 12 demerit points for overcharging as well as another $50 fine for his second offence, Lee decided to contest the charges.

The cabby is contending that he was among a group of limousine taxi drivers who had an agreement with the Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel to ferry its guests to the airport for a flat fee of $20.

At the start of his trial yesterday, a district court heard that two undercover officers from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had gone to the hotel in Marine Parade Road on Nov 5 last year for a "taxi audit".

First to testify, Mr Derrick Chua Gim Tat said he and Mr Norman Gerard Teng Sze Kin, both 28, arrived at the hotel at 7.30am.

The duo took the lift up some floors before returning to the lobby, where they were approached by a hotel staff member and then by the concierge asking them if they needed a taxi.

Although both hotel workers were not Chinese, Mr Teng asked in Mandarin to be taken to the airport and they were ushered to a Comfort Mercedes limousine taxi driven by Lee.

They kept mum when the cabby failed to turn on his meter.

Upon reaching Changi Airport Terminal 3, Lee said the fare was $20. Mr Teng paid and was issued a handwritten receipt.

The officers denied suggestions by Lee's lawyer Tan Hee Joek that a hotel staff member had told them the fare was to be $20.

Mr Teng reiterated that he spoke only in Mandarin at the hotel and in the taxi, as he and his partner were posing as tourists from China.

However, he said they had not posed as hotel guests and told LTA senior prosecutor Lua Bee Hin that they did not check into the hotel.

The court then heard from investigation officer Joshua Soon Beng Huat of Comfort Transportation that private arrangements between cabbies and passengers are allowed.

But arrangements through a middle party, such as a hotel, were not permitted as this could result in the passenger being unaware of the fare to be paid and overcharged.

Mr Lim Lai Huat, an LTA investigation officer, told Mr Tan that the LTA does not allow private arrangements to be struck when taxis pick up passengers on streets and at taxi stands. Such agreements have to be "pre-arranged", he added.

He was, however, unaware of rules forbidding private arrangements between cabbies and third parties.

Lee then testified that the fare agreement with the hotel was signed by fellow cabby Jordan Pang, who will testify when the trial resumes in May.

Lee could be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months on each offence.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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