PHV driver and passenger with child insist on taking ride without booster seat -- despite man's warning

A private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver and a passenger who was with a toddler refused to heed a man's repeated reminders about road safety rules.

The driver and passenger had allowed the latter's child on board the car despite the law requiring anyone below the height of 1.35m to be secured with an appropriate restraint, booster seat or adjustable seatbelt.

They were confronted by a Gojek driver, who had earlier declined to take the passenger. The passenger, however, refused to cancel the ride and booked another car instead.

The three men were caught on video in an argument at Hilltops Luxury Apartments, a condominium at Cairnhill Circle, on Sunday (Aug 27).

In the video, a man – who was accompanied by a young girl – can be seen boarding the PHV driver's car just as the Gojek driver approaches the PHV driver.

The Gojek driver says in Hokkien, "Brother, there's a child, you have no child seat, you want to fetch? He has a child and no child seat, you want to fetch? If you fetch, I will definitely report you. He refused to cancel (my booking). Got child, you can fetch meh? You have no child seat. Never mind, if you want to fetch, go ahead, never mind. I will definitely report you. He refused to cancel (my booking), I am waiting here."

The PHV driver does not respond directly, but is seen speaking to the passenger, who holds up his mobile phone at the Gojek driver.

The Gojek driver then explains to the passenger that he has to cancel for 'booking the wrong service'.

However, the passenger asks what he is talking about and says he does this "all the time".

Despite the Gojek driver's efforts to explain, the passenger continues to repeatedly ask what is wrong and questions why he has to cancel when the Gojek driver is the one who "rejected" him.

The Gojek driver returns to addressing the PHV driver and says, "Brother, you better don't fetch him. If you fetch, I will definitely report you."

PHV driver replies in Mandarin, "You don't affect me, can? You and him, don't affect me," to which the Gojek driver says, "What affect you? He is refusing to cancel and I am stuck here."

At this point, a security guard intervenes and asks what happened.

The Gojek driver explains, then continues to chide the PHV driver by saying, "What you mean nothing to do with you? You are not supposed to pick without a child seat. You are a driver, you should know. It's because of people like you, that's why passengers do this type of shit. You are a driver, you should know! It's an offence!"

The PHV driver retorts, "So I cancel also lah! I cancel, I put in as a friend, I take lah! Why?"

He also challenges the Gojek driver to go ahead and report him, while telling him not to be "calculative".

The video ends with the PHV driver telling the Gojek driver, "He has cancelled your booking, you still don't want to leave ah?"

A reader, who alerted Stomp to the video and wished to remain anonymous, said, "Kudos to the security officer."

Wonder what the child thinks about the hoo-ha.