Gojek driver kicks passengers off ride from Changi Airport over a $3 tip

Flights can be exhausting, and most of us would just want to hop in a cab to get home as soon as possible.

Getting a ride back to Tampines in the early hours of Wednesday (Dec 18), however, was not as easy as one traveller thought.

In a Facebook post, Joseph Lam wrote about his encounter with a 'weird' Gojek driver.

After failing to book an $11 ride to his Tampines abode through Grab at Changi Airport, Lam managed to book one through Gojek for a slightly higher fare of $14.

After boarding the car with two others, he started noticing the driver's strange behaviour.

Lam recounted how the driver had repeatedly asked his passengers if they would tip him for his service.

The driver mentioned that the Grab surge fare was $21 for a similar trip, and suggested a $3 tip if his passengers "didn't mind," Lam wrote.

Annoyed by the driver's insistent questions, Lam replied: "Yes, I do mind."

The passenger had hoped that his driver would get the hint and continue driving, but he didn't expect to hear him say: "I guess I will have to drop you off at the nearest bus stop."

"I don't want to force you to tip me," the driver said, "you can try using Grab."

So, the driver cancelled the booking while they were en route to the destination, Lam wrote.

As the passengers were offloading their luggage at a bus stop along Airport Boulevard, the driver told them that the incident was recorded.

In his post, Lam acknowledged that he was also in the wrong, as cuss words and rude gestures were exchanged during the encounter.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a Gojek spokesperson said: "We do not condone this kind of behaviour from our driver-partners."

"Our policies around conduct are clearly emphasised to them in our driver-partner handbook and during the on-boarding process."

Gojek also said that it has looked into the case and it is now speaking with both parties to resolve the matter.

For terminating hiring of chauffeured private hire car, or requiring a passenger to leave chauffeured private hire car, without reasonable excuse before the passenger is conveyed to the destination, the driver may be liable to five demerit points and a $200 fine under the Road Traffic Act.

lamminlee@asiaone.com