TAXI SPED OFF WHILE WE TOOK BAGS FROM THE BOOT, WE FELL FLAT ON THE ROAD

<Complaint by Cindy Lim>

Dear all, would like to highlight this issue so all can be better informed, be it travelling with or without kids when taking a cab.

3 adults (my aunt, mum & myself) with 1 infant boarded Comfort blue cab SHA 7533 from Ngee Ann City taxi stand at around 6.45pm on 24th March 2016 (Thurs) towards Havelock Rd (Tiong Bahru). The cab driver was changing shift & heading to Chinatown. He mentioned he was ok to pick us as Chinatown is only a stone's throw away from Havelock Rd (Tiong Bahru).

I informed him to open the boot as we had 3 large shopping bags, 1 diaper bag, 2 handbags & a bag of packed food in order to leave the 2 red shopping bags in the boot so it will not be so squeezy at the rear seats for the 2 adults & infant as the infant had fallen asleep. I took the front passenger seat with a handbag, a large Taka paper carrier & a diaper bag.

Upon reaching, I informed the driver to open the boot so we could retrieve our bags. The cab was parked along the road side. My aunt alighted first & went to the boot. My mum was carrying my infant & I waited for her to alight so I could close the rear left passenger door after her & told her to walk up to the pavement.

After closing the door, i walked to the boot to help my aunt. She had picked up the first bag and when I was about to help her pick the second bag up, the driver just simply drove off! Both of us nearly fell flat to the road literally! There was absolutely no time to react. We could barely grab the second bag in that split second, it tore as a result sending the items flying onto the road. We shouted but the driver didnt bother till a guy crossing the road witnessed it & screamed to alert the driver. It was only then did he realise he had made this blunder.

By the time he came down from his cab, my aunt & I had frantically done picking up the items from the road. He walked over to take a quick glance, closed his boot at us & simply just drove off.

It is ok that the driver did not have any intention to come down to open & close the boot for us, we can do this by ourselves. But to any one with driving experience, only 1 point comes to mind: this proved that the driver did not even check his rear mirror before moving off. Cause if he did, he would have realised his boot was opened! This is totally unacceptable! No safety nor blind spot checks.

I thank God I was not babywearing my infant at that moment, couldnt imagine if I fell with him. The consequences would have been disastrous. There is no room for any excuses even if he was rushing to change his shift. If so, he should not have queued to pick up any passengers at the taxi stand in the first place.

It is unlike me to complain to break someone's rice bowl but for the safety of others I went ahead to do so. Deeply dismayed & utterly disappointed by such service rendered by a Comfort taxi driver, I lodged a complaint with Comfort Delgro customer service centre with the staff Theresa with the details of my trip and the fare amount, $11.45. Case reference: CP1603028XXX.

Sharing what we had encountered to alert & raise the awareness, hoping others will not experience such a trauma like how we did. It is not just about the external physical pain, it is about the trauma experienced mentally..