A 69-year-old taxi driver from Trans-Cab has been taken into custody after an alleged assault with a voltage tester on a passenger during a dispute over a change in destination.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they received a request for assistance on March 12th around 6:30 pm, at Block 107 Bedok North Road.
The altercation began when a family of three, who had initially boarded the taxi at Hougang, asked the driver to make a stop at Block 95 Bedok North Avenue 4 before reaching their original destination, Block 106 Bedok North Road. An eyewitness, identified only as Xu, informed Shin Min Daily News that the driver initially agreed to the change without requesting an additional fee. However, a disagreement arose when the driver later decided to take them directly to their final destination.
Xu reported that the driver used a voltage tester, a screwdriver-shaped device used to measure electrical currents, to attack the passengers during the ensuing fight. Following the incident, the taxi driver was seen being escorted away in a police car. Xu also noticed a woman in her 20s or 30s speaking with police officers at the scene, with a young boy around eight years old accompanying her. Xu believed that a bracelet the woman was wearing was damaged during the scuffle.
The police arrested the 69-year-old driver for allegedly inflicting harm with a weapon. A 39-year-old man sustained minor cuts from the incident but declined hospitalization after being evaluated by SCDF paramedics. The SCDF confirmed that two individuals suffered minor injuries but declined further medical attention.
The police are currently investigating the matter further.