Bus and cab fare cheaters to be jailed!

[jsbn]

Article courtesy of AsiaOne:
COMMUTERS who cheat on bus and taxi fares could end up behind bars under proposed legislation to stamp out a problem that has dogged Singaporean transport operators for years.

Bus companies, for example, lose an estimated $9 million a year to fare cheats.

The penalties aimed at protecting bus firms and cabbies against cheats are similar to those provided by the Rapid Transit Systems Act for rail operators.

Typically, a dishonest commuter taps his ez-link card on the exit reader well before his intended stop. This way, he is charged a lower fare.

Under proposed amendments to the Public Transport Council Act introduced in Parliament yesterday, bus commuters found by council-appointed inspectors to have paid incorrect fares will face a penalty charge.

Those who fail to pay this yet-to-be-determined charge face fines of up to $1,000. Repeat offenders face up to $2,000 in fines and risk a jail term of up to six months.

SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'The proposed changes take into account the fact that our drivers get cheated, whether intentionally or not. While the majority of our customers do not cheat, there is a small proportion who do, and they are penalising those who pay the full fare.'

Currently, those caught underpaying bus fares will only be required to make up the difference, said Ms Tan, who hopes the proposed changes 'will deter incidences of fare misuse'.

Those who cheat cabbies will be dealt with more swiftly.

They immediately face a fine of $1,000 for the first offence, and $2,000 or a jail term of up to six months for subsequent offences.

'The new section 24D criminalises the failure to pay taxi fares,' says an explanatory note accompanying the proposed legislation.

According to ComfortDelGro, which controls 77 per cent of Singapore's 22,000 taxis, its cabbies face more than 40 cases of non-payment a month.

Veteran cabby C K Chan, 53, said he feels powerless when a fare does not pay. 'I think some of these people know that we can't do anything to them. This new law should make things better.'

Other proposed amendments include a five-year operator licence for bus companies.

Currently, bus operators apply for annual route licences. The extra requirement is expected to give the Public Transport Council more teeth to enforce service standards.

Reference: http://www.asiaone.com/st/st_20050920_341763.html

What do u guys think of this new ruiling? :think:

Justifiable or outright dumb that they are clamping down on cheating passengers and not the silly EZ-Link card reader for doing weird things to our card at times? :think:

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

sometimes the law works in a rather strange way, esp with a small population like here...

btw, just wondering, who gets to keep the 1k fine? the cabby or LTA?

 

[espn]

Few questions.

If the card reader fails to read our cards when we exit, can we fine the bus company for 'cheating'?

Also, if a cab driver goes a long long route before hitting the destination, can we fine the taxi drivers for 'cheating'?

What if the card reader fails to pick up the signals when we board, then whose fault?

When EZLink came into effect, many miscalculations of fare charges because the card readers failed to update the bus stages correctly, can we turn back and sue SBS now? :dunno:

Since when we have to make up for the fare difference? We had to PAY the actual fare once again.

ie: 100c, punch sala, (during fare card time) punch 80c, conductor check, punch another 100c, total 180c, where got punch 20c? Kaoz!

 

[dominator]

if the card reader do unjustice to our ez-link card that is hardware or software problem.
but if the ez-link user cheats...it is human and it mean law!

 

[ortega]

write to the newspapers, over here not much use
better yet start a petition and state your concerns

I find that there are valid points

BTW I do not take public transport

 

[dEthANGeL]

This has been implemented overseas. Correct me if i'm wrong.

But as for the tapping of EZ-Link card ... it happened to me once where my mind was preoccupied, didn't realise i tapped my card but didn't press the "STOP" bell .. so i tapped early and was wondering why the bus didn't stop...so alighted 1 stop later.. this was unintentional ... does this count? :bsmilie: .. i mean seriously .. we're all bogged with work and preoccupied with stuff... it does happen sometimes when you even just board the bus without tapping and the driver just keeps quiet (though nowadays the drivers do call you back) ...

As for tha cabbies, it'll do them good but question remains - how does the cabby ID the customer when he/she cheats? (take a pic of the passenger everytime he/she boards?)

 

[soma]

What do u guys think of this new ruiling? :think:

Justifiable or outright dumb that they are clamping down on cheating passengers and not the silly EZ-Link card reader for doing weird things to our card at times? :think:

Bought a one way ticket for MRT and forgot to get back the deposit sometime ago, try to cash out the deposit and nothing happen. $1 deposit "EATEN" or should i call it "CHEATING BY THE MRT COMPANY" I don't remember seeing any date line on the return of the card.

What can i do, my only proof is in the machine now.:angry:

What about those $ invested oversea and being 'cheated', how are they going to jail them...:bsmilie:

 

[jsbn]

Of all those crazy laws, I can put up one that classifies blowjobs as 'unnatural sex' and liable for life imprisonment.

This is one law I really think must really be put on the table to trash out the specific details since its so vague and consumers who get weird things done to their cards can't do anything about it!

Its like one of those weird laws they have overseas where u can be fined for walking backwards at sunset. :bsmilie:

 

[litefoot]

Assuming that the transportation companies are entities by themselves, its a little far fetch to enforce a state legislation to protect them instead of them looking at possible solutions to plug these leakages. I would love to see what is the "leakage" due to cheating. Let facts present itself. It is not cheap to enforce a legislation, if its just a small amount compared to the total revenue. They are wasting tax payer's money. Its just like stealing in a shop, charge these people under the same offence and not the extend of another legislation.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Bought a one way ticket for MRT and forgot to get back the deposit sometime ago, try to cash out the deposit and nothing happen. $1 deposit "EATEN" or should i call it "CHEATING BY THE MRT COMPANY" I don't remember seeing any date line on the return of the card.

What can i do, my only proof is in the machine now.:angry:

What about those $ invested oversea and being 'cheated', how are they going to jail them...:bsmilie:

err, tats your fault wat, they wrote in a disclaimer already... check out at the station.

 

[madmacs]

hmm...so should ez-link/smrt/sbs be brought to court if they over-charge or double-charge commuters? :think: bloody double standards...

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

hmm...so should ez-link/smrt/sbs be brought to court if they over-charge or double-charge commuters? :think: bloody double standards...

should we consumers hire the lawyer who was hired by SPH against Durai to counter the govt? :thumbsup: :think: :bsmilie:

 

[ortega]

now that would be fun to watch

 

[vince123123]

I doubt that he will take up representation.

should we consumers hire the lawyer who was hired by SPH against Durai to counter the govt? :thumbsup: :think: :bsmilie:

 

[soma]

err, tats your fault wat, they wrote in a disclaimer already... check out at the station.

sorry to add in, ticket bought by my mom, can't read chinese or english or tamil or malay and also bad hearing and someone help here to bought the ticket too. (she forgot to bring her top up card):bsmilie: :sweat:

I go and cash out when i saw the card.

Wonder how many read the disclaimer, i don't even bother to read the winning number when there is a lucky draw thing going on.:sweat:

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

I doubt that he will take up representation.

the problem is... who dare? :sweat:

 

[idor]

Damn Bloody Chao Kuan man.... to be fair they should also put bus driver in jail cos they did not change the stage in time.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

sorry to add in, ticket bought by my mom, can't read chinese or english or tamil or malay and also bad hearing and someone help here to bought the ticket too. (she forgot to bring her top up card):bsmilie: :sweat:

I go and cash out when i saw the card.

Wonder how many read the disclaimer, i don't even bother to read the winning number when there is a lucky draw thing going on.:sweat:

disclaimer is to protect the provider in anyway they deem fit, and in no particular fashion, may deem unfair to the consumer.. there is also disclaimers and regulations etc before you enter the carpark, (for those driving) do you think we bother to slow down, read word by word, then enter? den if it doesn't fit our bill, we despite the countless number of cars behind, engage reverse gear to get out ASAP? no lor... its just the rule of the game... unless you wanna pay money to challenge them for that insignificant amount of money...

but seriously thou, how do they classify as bus/cab fare cheaters? that would be interesting... otherwise any tom dick or harry would be a cheater by now... and everyone should start saving up 1k in advance for this...

 

[sbs99]

i wonder who actually comes up with such stupid rules and punishments? :nono:

 

[jsbn]

should we consumers hire the lawyer who was hired by SPH against Durai to counter the govt? :thumbsup: :think: :bsmilie:

I doubt that he will take up representation.

This is the year where we see lotsa ppl shooting themselves in the foot publicly.

Things like this hard to say. :embrass: