Dirty dog? Driver slammed online after travelling with pet in BlueSG car

Dogs are known for their love for the outdoors, and many owners often drive them around the island with their cars.

But owning a car in Singapore is not cheap, so some pay a premium for pet-friendly transport services such as GrabPet or private taxis to ferry their fur kids.

One driver sparked debate online on Sunday (Oct 11) evening after she was spotted taking her dog out on an unusual ride — a BlueSG car.

In a video shared on Facebook, the woman and her male passenger were seen parking the electric car at a BlueSG station along Tampines Street 22 and exiting with a pet dog in tow.

While the vehicle is part of a local car-sharing service, not all users may not share their love of dogs.

This was seen in a caption that accompanied the clip: "Bringing their smelly and dirty dog in and dirtying shared car. Irresponsible!"

While some Facebook users questioned whether it is okay to have a pet onboard on shared vehicles, others took issue with the post that implied that the dog had dirtied the car.

Netizens also raised concerns about cleanliness in the vehicle, explaining that dog dander and saliva may trigger allergic reactions in some users.

In a Facebook group for BlueSG drivers, some noted the presence of pet fur as well as rubbish left behind in the shared vehicles.

They urged fellow users to be more considerate of others and even gave suggestions on how pet owners can transport their fur kids in the car in a more responsible manner such as using a pet carrier.

Shortly after reporting the incident to BlueSG, the Facebook user who filmed the clip said the company has since contacted the users who drove with their dog and dispatched a team to clean the vehicle.

According to BlueSG's frequently asked questions page, pets are not allowed in the car. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, BlueSG said that it has reached out to the member involved in the incident. 

For returning the car in an unclean state, which includes dirtying the interior with cigarette ashes, food wrappers, used cups and dog fur, a user is liable to a $150 penalty. This fee includes cleaning charges that are incurred by BlueSG. 

lamminlee@asiaone.com