Tada suspends driver who allegedly made racist comments to passenger, says his actions ‘completely unacceptable’
A screenshot of the video showing the argument between the driver and the passenger.
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BY
SUFIYAN SAMSURI
Published September 26, 2023Updated September 27, 2023
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SINGAPORE — A private-hire car driver who allegedly made racist comments towards his passenger in a heated row that was captured on video has been suspended from ride-hailing platform Tada.
A Tada spokesman told TODAY on Tuesday (Sept 26) evening that it has undertaken a thorough investigation into the incident and “took immediate action” against the driver.
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Last Saturday, Facebook user Jan Hoeden uploaded two videos that captured an argument between her and the said driver, as well as a screenshot of the Tada app that showed the latter's face and her travel route.
Ms Hoeden said in her post that the argument started when the driver “accused” her of giving him the wrong direction, claiming that she “didn’t even advise or say anything to him”.
As the conversation went on, the driver said that she should not be “hao lian”, or Teochew for boastful.
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When Ms Hoeden replied in Mandarin that she is not “hao lian”, the driver then raised his voice and said “You are Indian, I am Chinese”.
He later said to Ms Hoeden that she is "the very worst” customer, even as she told him repeatedly that she is not an Indian but a Eurasian.
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In its statement on Tuesday, Tada said that the driver’s remarks that insinuated racial differences are “completely unacceptable” with the platform’s community guidelines and ethos.
“At Tada, we're committed to fostering an environment built on respect and understanding. We urge our users to always avoid racial or derogatory comments, regardless of the circumstances,” it added.