SINGAPORE – A CityCab driver allegedly pushed another driver over a road divider into a drain after a dispute on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Monday.
In a 20-second video posted on citizen journalism site Stomp, a yellow CityCab taxi can be seen moving with the driver’s door open while a man appears to be trying to impede the driver.
The video shows that the taxi then stops, and the two men involved in the skirmish confront each other before one pushes the other, causing him to fall over the divider.
The victim, private hire driver Allan Wong, told The Straits Times that he had been driving along the PIE at about 5am when the driver of a CityCab taxi that was in front of his car jammed on his brakes. This led to a collision as he could not stop his vehicle in time.
Mr Wong, 59, said he stepped out of his vehicle and spoke to the taxi driver about exchanging particulars for insurance claims. But when he asked to check if the passenger in the taxi was injured, the taxi driver attempted to drive away.
After a brief altercation, the taxi driver allegedly pushed Mr Wong, causing him to fall over the divider.
“He pushed me so hard that I fell over the divider and into a 2m drain,” said Mr Wong, adding that he had bruises on his arms, back and right leg. “There was no need to use force.”
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that at about 5.20am on Monday, it received a call for assistance on the PIE towards Changi before the Stevens Road exit, and that a person was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The police confirmed that a report had been made and that investigations are ongoing.
In response to queries, Mrs Grace Wu, spokeswoman for ComfortDelGro, which owns CityCab, said the taxi driver had been on his way to the airport with a passenger on board when his taxi was hit in the rear by a private-hire vehicle.
After the taxi driver and the other driver exchanged particulars, the taxi driver “wanted to continue with his journey as his passenger had a flight to catch”, said Mrs Wu. “However, he was repeatedly stopped from being able to do so by the other driver.”
She added: “Regrettably, the video footage shows only our cabby’s response when he was trying to get the other driver out of his way.”
The group does not take this incident lightly and will be taking disciplinary action against the taxi driver. Mrs Wu said: “Although he was provoked, he could have called the police for assistance instead of taking matters into his own hands.”
