Friday, 7 March 2008
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer
http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=131824
Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer
stkee
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:34 am
Post subject: Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer
Hi All Silvercab and potential Silvercab Hirers beware of Ah Beng/Mafia Tactics used by the company.
1) Please keep and check your rental payments and double check with their accounts every 2 weeks. Because they are famous for saying hirers owe them money.
2) After you return taxi back to them, please check and double check with them with regards to the final statement of account and balances. The following happen to me:
I was the 1st batach to drive their Kia Taxi last year, it was a 1 year contract with a $500 panalty. I took the cab in Jan 20 something 2007. The first issue happens one month after driving, they refused to give me the promised free sunday because they claimed that I still owe them rental, after checking on my side and going down to check with them, they admit that it was a shortfall on their accounting side, infact I even have a 1 day credit with them.
This problem goes on for the following month, until I gave up, every second and forth friday, I will go down to their office and present my own accounting statements and receipts and spend a few hours going thru with them the accounts. (wondering am I their auditor?)
After driving for 7 months, I gave up. It is too much of a trouble and all the time spend don't really make sense to stay with them any longer. The operation cost, (eg high diesel cost, walkie talkie cost, etc.) is way too high and it is not worth to continue. Thus, I decided to return the cab in Sept.
On the day I return the cab, I ask them for a final statement and weather there is any outstanding amount, but was told to wait for the statement to be mailed to me.
Since I returned till mid feb this year, I didn't recieved any call nor statements from them. I only recieved the final statement somewhere in mid-feb. As it was the chinese new Year period, I have problem contacting them and was also busy.
Suddenly on the 4th March, 2 gangster looking guys comes to my house and started banging the door and demanding that I make payment. At that time I wasn't home and my old mom was in. She told them that I wasn't in and need to try and contact me, but they refused to listen and started to shout and bang the door. My mom was horrified.
When I came home, they are not around and left a note saying that premier has tried contacting me many time regarding the outstanding amount and demand for the payment.
I went down to silvercab, and when I confront their managements, he told me to ignore the 2 fellows and not to pay them, and whatever their behaviour, is not his problem. And started to make lots of excuses saying it could be some misunderstanding, etc.
From this incident, it reminds me of silvercab boss behaviour as a road rage when the company was first started, it seems that he passed down this type of Ah Beng/Mafia behaviour into how the company was run.
I will never ever hire any cab from them nor take their cab, even if their the last company around. This is the year 2008, not in the 60s or 70s where gangster rules the country. It is really a scary experience for me and I can't believe that a company providing public transport and customer services uses such low down gangster tactics.
Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer
stkee
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:34 am
Post subject: Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer
Hi All Silvercab and potential Silvercab Hirers beware of Ah Beng/Mafia Tactics used by the company.
1) Please keep and check your rental payments and double check with their accounts every 2 weeks. Because they are famous for saying hirers owe them money.
2) After you return taxi back to them, please check and double check with them with regards to the final statement of account and balances. The following happen to me:
I was the 1st batach to drive their Kia Taxi last year, it was a 1 year contract with a $500 panalty. I took the cab in Jan 20 something 2007. The first issue happens one month after driving, they refused to give me the promised free sunday because they claimed that I still owe them rental, after checking on my side and going down to check with them, they admit that it was a shortfall on their accounting side, infact I even have a 1 day credit with them.
This problem goes on for the following month, until I gave up, every second and forth friday, I will go down to their office and present my own accounting statements and receipts and spend a few hours going thru with them the accounts. (wondering am I their auditor?)
After driving for 7 months, I gave up. It is too much of a trouble and all the time spend don't really make sense to stay with them any longer. The operation cost, (eg high diesel cost, walkie talkie cost, etc.) is way too high and it is not worth to continue. Thus, I decided to return the cab in Sept.
On the day I return the cab, I ask them for a final statement and weather there is any outstanding amount, but was told to wait for the statement to be mailed to me.
Since I returned till mid feb this year, I didn't recieved any call nor statements from them. I only recieved the final statement somewhere in mid-feb. As it was the chinese new Year period, I have problem contacting them and was also busy.
Suddenly on the 4th March, 2 gangster looking guys comes to my house and started banging the door and demanding that I make payment. At that time I wasn't home and my old mom was in. She told them that I wasn't in and need to try and contact me, but they refused to listen and started to shout and bang the door. My mom was horrified.
When I came home, they are not around and left a note saying that premier has tried contacting me many time regarding the outstanding amount and demand for the payment.
I went down to silvercab, and when I confront their managements, he told me to ignore the 2 fellows and not to pay them, and whatever their behaviour, is not his problem. And started to make lots of excuses saying it could be some misunderstanding, etc.
From this incident, it reminds me of silvercab boss behaviour as a road rage when the company was first started, it seems that he passed down this type of Ah Beng/Mafia behaviour into how the company was run.
I will never ever hire any cab from them nor take their cab, even if their the last company around. This is the year 2008, not in the 60s or 70s where gangster rules the country. It is really a scary experience for me and I can't believe that a company providing public transport and customer services uses such low down gangster tactics.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Pedestrian dies in Siglap crash
Shocked passers-by watch as the police remove the woman's body from a drain along East Coast Road near Siglap Centre (below). She was covered with a table cloth from a nearby restaurant. Her severed leg was found near the cab. Pictures: GAVIN FOO
Pictures: GAVIN FOO
5 minutes before her body is found in drain 1 KILLED, 1 HURT IN SIGLAP CRASH
By Celine Lim March 06, 2008
HE was waiting for a pedestrian to cross in front of his van when a loud 'bang' resounded behind him.
A split second later, an uprooted metal railing flew through the air, grazed Mr Sam Gandhi's van and landed in front of the pedestrian.
Mr Gandhi, 46, a businessman, said: 'The railing hit the man's legs and he fell to the ground.
'Simultaneously, a taxi crashed into the drain a few metres to my right.'
Unknown to him, a severed leg had also landed behind his van.
It belonged to a woman pedestrian, who had been flung more than 15m, or about a bus length, through the air during the accident at noon yesterday.
She landed in the drain a few metres away from the taxi and died on the spot.
A police spokesman said 'an accident between a taxi, a van and two pedestrians' had taken place along East Coast Road towards Siglap Centre and Upper East Coast Road.
He said the victim was a Filipino in her 20s.
Witnesses said the taxi was approaching a row of shops and eateries, near The Thames pub and Genesis bistro, when it mounted the kerb.
A trail of destruction, including a crushed bicycle, two toppled dustbins and four uprooted metal railings, marked the taxi's trajectory before it spun sharply to the left and plunged into the drain.
Mr Gandhi said he quickly got out of his van to help the fallen pedestrian, who was in front of a 7-Eleven outlet.
A few minutes later, he decided to check on the cabby as a small crowd had gathered to attend to the man.
But when he rounded the back of the van to get to the taxi, he spotted a severed leg.
Mr Gandhi said: 'I was totally freaked out! I just left it and walked away, what a sight.'
He said the left leg had been severed below the knee.
Mr Tan Eng Kok, 42, a renovation contractor, said in Mandarin: 'I realised that there had to be another victim because the injured man's legs were intact.'
But where was the victim?
Mr Tan said he was sitting outside a shop in front of the accident scene reading the newspapers when he heard the crash.
He said: 'I got up immediately and saw something flying past across the drain, but I thought it was a dustbin.
'I never thought it could be a person. It was a Caucasian man at the bus stop who first noticed the body.'
A waiter, who wanted to be known only as Shiva, 22, said the search for the other accident victim lasted almost five minutes.
He said: 'Then, someone told me to look in the drain. I took one look, saw the body and walked away.
'I was too scared to look again. How would I sleep at night if I had a second look?'
He explained that the woman's body was bent at an awkward angle.
She was wearing a yellow T-shirt, black pullover and black capri pants.
Mr Shiva said the woman had a marketing trolley with vegetables in it.
Parts of the smashed trolley could be seen along the road and kerb.
He said: 'I couldn't see what she looked like as her face was all bloodied and covered by her hair.'
He then took a table cloth from the restaurant, and handed it to the Caucasian man who climbed into the drain to cover the body.
Police and SCDF spokesmen said the woman was pronounced dead by paramedics at about 12.30pm.
They said the other pedestrian, a Chinese man in his mid-40s, was sent to Changi General Hospital with bruises on his left leg and abrasions on his right arm.
CABBY UNHURT
It is understood that the taxi driver was unhurt.
He was last seen in the back seat of a police car.
The police spokesman said the 39-year-old man is assisting with investigations.
Ms Tammy Tan, the group corporate communications officer of ComfortDelGro, said: 'We are shocked and horrified to learn of the accident, and our hearts go out to the family of the pedestrian.
'We are trying to get in touch with them to render our assistance.
'We will also assist the police in their investigations. In the meantime, we have suspended the driver with immediate effect pending the outcome of the investigations.'
===================================
ELECTRIC NEWS
Employer hides news from daughter:
We said maid had to go home
MAID KILLED AT SIGLAPBy Celine Lim
March 07, 2008
Employer hides news from daughter:
We said maid had to go home
MAID KILLED AT SIGLAPBy Celine Lim
March 07, 2008
THEIR little girl, 8, does not know that someone she loves dearly is dead.
Her parents are not sure how she will take the news that the family's maid, Mrs Margie Balitaan Abarquez, was killed in an accident on Tuesday.
Mrs Abarquez's employer, who declined to be named, said: 'We're not sure if our daughter can accept Margie's death as she's still young.'
Mrs Abarquez, 28, was hit by a taxi along East Coast Road, in the direction of Siglap Centre and Upper East Coast Road. The impact severed her left leg and sent her flying more than 15m through the air before she landed in a drain.
She was pronounced dead by the paramedics at 12.30pm.
Her employer said: 'We told our daughter that Margie had to go back to the Philippines because her son is not feeling well.
Mrs Abarquez's employer, who declined to be named, said: 'We're not sure if our daughter can accept Margie's death as she's still young.'
Mrs Abarquez, 28, was hit by a taxi along East Coast Road, in the direction of Siglap Centre and Upper East Coast Road. The impact severed her left leg and sent her flying more than 15m through the air before she landed in a drain.
She was pronounced dead by the paramedics at 12.30pm.
Her employer said: 'We told our daughter that Margie had to go back to the Philippines because her son is not feeling well.
'Margie got along very well with our daughter and loved her very much. Maybe it's because she had two sons, who are 8 and 9.'
The family first met Mrs Abarquez through her older sister, who worked for the family for two years before leaving last year for a higher-paying job in Hong Kong.
Mrs Abarquez took over her older sister's job last October.
Her employer said: 'Before Margie started working for us, she used to visit her sister at our house on her days off.
'We could see they were very close to each other.'
DEVASTATED
She said she spoke to Margie's sister the evening of the accident.
She said: 'Margie's sister was crying. She was devastated. She kept asking me, 'Why, why, why?' But I had no answer for her.'
Mrs Abarquez left her husband and two young sons in the Philippines more than a year ago to work as a maid here.
She had apparently worked for three employers earlier, her current employer said.
The employer was at work when the accident happened and only realised that something was wrong after 3pm, when her father-in-law, who was at home, called her in the office.
She said: 'He was very worried because Margie went out at noon and wasn't back yet. It wasn't like her. She has always been responsible.'
Mrs Abarquez had left word that she was going to the pharmacy. Her employer said the traffic police called their Siglap residence soon after.
She returned the call from the office and found out that Mrs Abarquez had been in an accident.
She recalled: 'I asked if Margie was seriously injured, if she was in hospital.
'But it was only after verifying that I was her employer that the officer told me she had died on the spot.
'I was shocked. It was so sudden. You don't expect a person to go out and never come back again.'
Her employer said she thought Mrs Abarquez had been jaywalking or crossing the road at first.
'But she was just walking on the kerb,' she said, shaking her head.
'She was in the right place at the wrong time.'
She said she had not realised how bad Mrs Abarquez's injuries were until she identified the body in the mortuary yesterday morning.
She and her husband then arranged for a short prayer session by the pastor of Christ Methodist Church, to be held this morning.
Mrs Abarquez's body will be flown back to the Philippines after that, so her family can take a 'last look' at her.
Her employer declined to reveal how much the arrangements cost, except that it was 'a fair bit'.
She also said they will send 'some money' to Mrs Abarquez's family, with whom they have been in contact.
MAIN BREADWINNER
She said: 'I'm not sure if her husband is employed or doing odd jobs. I think her family depended on her as the main breadwinner.'
She described the maid as a 'happy girl, who is good at what she does'.
Mrs Abarquez seemed to have been very much a part of her employer's family. She attended the same church as the family.
In January, the family bought her a cake and some presents to celebrate her 28th birthday.
One of the family's neighbours, a 77-year-old housewife who declined to be named, was shocked to hear of Mrs Abarquez's death.
She said: 'I had heard someone died in the accident, but I didn't know it was her. She was a friendly, nice girl.
'Poor thing. She's so young, and to just die like that... what a tragedy.'
A police spokesman said the cabby involved in the accident, a 39-year-old Chinese man, has been released on bail, but is assisting the police with their investigations.
The family first met Mrs Abarquez through her older sister, who worked for the family for two years before leaving last year for a higher-paying job in Hong Kong.
Mrs Abarquez took over her older sister's job last October.
Her employer said: 'Before Margie started working for us, she used to visit her sister at our house on her days off.
'We could see they were very close to each other.'
DEVASTATED
She said she spoke to Margie's sister the evening of the accident.
She said: 'Margie's sister was crying. She was devastated. She kept asking me, 'Why, why, why?' But I had no answer for her.'
Mrs Abarquez left her husband and two young sons in the Philippines more than a year ago to work as a maid here.
She had apparently worked for three employers earlier, her current employer said.
The employer was at work when the accident happened and only realised that something was wrong after 3pm, when her father-in-law, who was at home, called her in the office.
She said: 'He was very worried because Margie went out at noon and wasn't back yet. It wasn't like her. She has always been responsible.'
Mrs Abarquez had left word that she was going to the pharmacy. Her employer said the traffic police called their Siglap residence soon after.
She returned the call from the office and found out that Mrs Abarquez had been in an accident.
She recalled: 'I asked if Margie was seriously injured, if she was in hospital.
'But it was only after verifying that I was her employer that the officer told me she had died on the spot.
'I was shocked. It was so sudden. You don't expect a person to go out and never come back again.'
Her employer said she thought Mrs Abarquez had been jaywalking or crossing the road at first.
'But she was just walking on the kerb,' she said, shaking her head.
'She was in the right place at the wrong time.'
She said she had not realised how bad Mrs Abarquez's injuries were until she identified the body in the mortuary yesterday morning.
She and her husband then arranged for a short prayer session by the pastor of Christ Methodist Church, to be held this morning.
Mrs Abarquez's body will be flown back to the Philippines after that, so her family can take a 'last look' at her.
Her employer declined to reveal how much the arrangements cost, except that it was 'a fair bit'.
She also said they will send 'some money' to Mrs Abarquez's family, with whom they have been in contact.
MAIN BREADWINNER
She said: 'I'm not sure if her husband is employed or doing odd jobs. I think her family depended on her as the main breadwinner.'
She described the maid as a 'happy girl, who is good at what she does'.
Mrs Abarquez seemed to have been very much a part of her employer's family. She attended the same church as the family.
In January, the family bought her a cake and some presents to celebrate her 28th birthday.
One of the family's neighbours, a 77-year-old housewife who declined to be named, was shocked to hear of Mrs Abarquez's death.
She said: 'I had heard someone died in the accident, but I didn't know it was her. She was a friendly, nice girl.
'Poor thing. She's so young, and to just die like that... what a tragedy.'
A police spokesman said the cabby involved in the accident, a 39-year-old Chinese man, has been released on bail, but is assisting the police with their investigations.
Taxis accident - Tiong Bahru Road
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/viewContent.jsp?id=15779
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/viewContent.jsp?id=15777
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/viewContent.jsp?id=15777
Posted on 04 Mar, 2008 18:50
Accident at Tiong Bahru Road
Accident at Tiong Bahru Road
STOMPer Lindy Ong sent us this photo of an accident involving two taxis and a bus along Tiong Bahru Road near Redhill MRT Station today (Mar 4). STOMP contacted the Police and it said:
"We received a call at 2.30pm today of two taxis and a bus along Tiong Bahru Road.
"One of the drivers of the taxis was conveyed to Alexandra Hospital conscious. "Police are still investigating," it said.
==========================
Posted on 05 Mar, 2008 11:28
STOMPer Mushroomi told STOMP that the road near Redhill MRT was blocked, as there was an accident there involving two taxis, a car and a bus at 1pm yesterday (Mar 4). In the
STOMPer’s email to STOMP today (Mar 5), the STOMPer wrote: “The accident involved four vehicles. Two taxis crashed head-on and a car, which hit the rear of the bus.
“The whole road was blocked as a result. “Most of the bus passengers had to walk more than 500 metres to reach Redhill MRT.” STOMP has contacted SCDF.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Passengers stranded on ECP by cab driver after accident
Passengers stranded on ECP by cab driver after accident:
We told him he was going too fast Cab hits divider on ECP, goes into spin When it stops spinning, passengers get out and cabby just drives off. Stranded, they call cops and make report
By Shree Ann Mathavan March 04, 2008
THE four passengers claimed the taxi driver was speeding. So they told him to slow down, not once, but twice, during the ride at around 5am yesterday.
But their pleas fell on deaf ears, they alleged.
Instead, the driver continued to race along on the East Coast Parkway (ECP), in the direction of Changi.
Near Marina Bay, the City Cab taxi crashed into the road divider and spun around before ending up facing the opposite direction.
Shaken, the four friends got out of the taxi, whereupon they got another shock.
Without a word to them, the taxi driver simply turned the car and sped off.
That was what the four friends claimed. They had to spend the wee hours of yesterday morning stranded on the ECP.
Their Saturday night started off well enough.
Miss Tia Abdullah, 22, an art student, and her friends Miss Joelle Simon, 23, an event planner, Mr Thibault Michels, 24, a marketing executive, and Miss Dayana Anggundita, 26, a flight stewardess, had been partying at St James Power Station.
They were celebrating another friend's birthday. Four hours later, the four friends, who all live in the eastern part of the island, decided to share a taxi back to their homes.
But the taxi driver, whom they described as a man in his mid-30s, was driving dangerously, they claimed.
Said Miss Tia, a Singaporean: 'He was speeding so fast, I had to close my eyes because it was scary.
'I had to hold onto my friends in the back-seat.'
Despite telling the taxi driver to slow down 'twice or thrice', he did not, and 'seemed to go even faster', claimed Miss Tia.
All of a sudden, the taxi crashed into the road divider on the right, shattering a glass window on the right-hand side of the vehicle.
It then spun around until it was facing oncoming traffic, said Miss Simon, a French national.
Stunned, the group got out of the taxi, which was still in the right lane.
Said Miss Tia: 'There was no argument, nothing. He just looked at us and drove off without a word.'
Miss Simon said glass bits fell on her, but the group escaped with minor bruises and scratches.
The taxi driver however, appeared to be bleeding, said Mr Michels.
After the taxi left, the friends made their way to the opposite side of the highway to a construction site.
Mr Michels, a French national, recalled: 'Crossing the highway was scary because the vehicles were travelling fast.'
Once at the construction site, they called the police, who went down to speak to them.
Mr Michels, who had left his handphone in the taxi, also used his friend's handphone to call his number.
According to him, the taxi driver answered, apologising and promising to return the phone to him, though he did not specify when.
He also allegedly told Mr Michels that his taxi was no longer working.
When the police arrived to take their statements, a police officer also called Mr Michels' phone and spoke to the taxi driver.
Through the officer, Mr Michels understood that he could later collect his handphone from Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre.
HELPED BY POLICE
Close to 7am, the four friends finally managed to return home - with the help of a police officer, who helped them to flag down a cab.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr Michels went to the Sengkang NPC to make a police report.
He was later told his handphone would be ready for him to pick up in the evening. But he could not pick it up yesterday.
Though the four did not sustain severe injuries, the incident left a bad taste in their mouths.
Miss Simon, who sustained a bruise at the corner of her left eye, said: 'We wanted to come forward to tell our stories, so there is more awareness of driving safely.'
ComfortDelGro spokesman Tammy Tan confirmed that the taxi was a CityCab.
CityCab is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro.
COMPANY IS INVESTIGATING
She said that she was dismayed to hear about the incident and that a thorough investigation will beconducted.
She said: 'We hope to be in touch with the passengers to ensure that they are well.
'The taxi driver is slightly injured with bruises but isn't hospitalised. We will be in touch with him and his family to check that he is okay.'
A police spokesman confirmed that they received a phone call at 5.30am yesterday about an accident along the ECP in the direction of Changi.
He said investigations are ongoing.
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