Taxi driver, 69, arrested after allegedly attacking passenger with 'dangerous weapon' after scuffle
He had got into argument with family of three after changes in multiple destinations on ride, and attacked man with a test pen
SINGAPORE — A 69-year-old Trans Cab taxi driver has been arrested for allegedly attacking a passenger with a “dangerous weapon” after a heated argument.
The Straits Times reported on Wednesday (13 March) that the weapon was a test pen, which is a tool shaped like a screwdriver, used to detect or test for electrical currents.
The passenger, a 39-year-old man, suffered minor cuts from the scuffle but was not taken to hospital after assessment by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). He was accompanied by a woman in her 30s and a young boy around eight years old, reported Chinese-language news outlet Shin Min Daily News.
How the argument started
According to The Straits Times, police were alerted to the incident at 6.30pm on Tuesday at Block 107 Bedok North Road. The driver had initially agreed to drop off a family of three at multiple destinations. An argument started after he later retracted from the arrangement.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the family boarded the taxi in Hougang, and later realised the wrong destination had been specified. They then requested the driver to first head to Block 95 Bedok North Avenue 4, before heading to the original destination at Block 106 Bedok North Road.
The fight started after the driver drove straight to the final destination instead, and allegedly used the test pen to attack the passengers. The driver was arrested for “voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon”.
Company to assist in police investigations
The Straits Times reported that Trans Cab has yet to get in touch with the taxi driver or the passenger. It nonetheless said it would be assisting the police in their investigations.
“We will not hesitate to terminate the service of the driver and we will continue to remind our drivers to provide a good service to continue to serve the public,” said Trans Cab.
“When passengers are on board the taxi, drivers have to fulfil their duty to ferry the passengers to the location unless the vehicle meets with an accident or a breakdown.”
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