A woman taxi passenger who repeatedly dodged her fares by claiming she did not have the money was fined $1,200 yesterday.
But Tanya Azurre Lee, 29, could not pay the penalty and will serve six days' jail in default.
The court heard that she managed to avoid coughing up fares for at least 34 cab journeys.
In one case in April last year, she told a taxi driver who dropped her at Woodlands Avenue 7 that she had no cash and would have to get it from a friend's flat.
When the cabby threatened to drive her to the police station, Lee handed over her identity card and took down his mobile phone number, promising to settle the $17.80 fare the next day.
But she failed to do so and the driver, who still had her card, went to the police.
Then on Sept 7, she took a taxi from her home in Whampoa Drive to Woodlands at 12.30am. During the journey, she told the cabby she had lost her wallet.
When they arrived at Woodlands Avenue 7, she wrote her name, identity card and cellphone numbers on a piece of paper and gave it to the driver. He also took her picture.
She promised to pay the $25.20 fare the next day. But when she failed to answer his text messages, the driver went to the police.
Lee, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty to two charges of fare evasion. She was fined $600 on each count.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) allowed her to settle the other 32 outstanding fares. Lee promised the judge that she would not repeat her mistake.
Prosecuting officer Steven Lua said she had taken advantage of taxi drivers doing an honest job.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 on each charge.
ComfortDelGro, the biggest taxi company here with a fleet of about 15,600 cabs, has seen an increase in the number of reported fare cheat cases.
Its spokesman Tammy Tan said the number of such cases for the first half of this year has gone up, compared to about 1,000 cases in the same period last year.
The LTA and the Public Transport Council received about 70 taxi fare evasion reports last year.
The spokesman for the authority also said that there were close to 30 taxi fare evasion cases from January to May this year.
The LTA helped recover the fares in some cases while investigations were ongoing for the rest.
While Lee is not the first to be taken to court for dodging fares, The Straits Times understands that prosecutions are rare.
Cabbies said they do not like to report fare evaders to the police as it could take time. Cabby Neil Lee, 60, said: 'Some of us accept it as an occupational hazard.'
National Taxi Association advisor Ang Hin Kee noted that many cases go unreported by cabbies.
'This issue is one which many drivers do experience,' he said. 'With this court case, maybe commuters who are tempted to cheat on fares will think twice.'
But Tanya Azurre Lee, 29, could not pay the penalty and will serve six days' jail in default.
The court heard that she managed to avoid coughing up fares for at least 34 cab journeys.
In one case in April last year, she told a taxi driver who dropped her at Woodlands Avenue 7 that she had no cash and would have to get it from a friend's flat.
When the cabby threatened to drive her to the police station, Lee handed over her identity card and took down his mobile phone number, promising to settle the $17.80 fare the next day.
But she failed to do so and the driver, who still had her card, went to the police.
Then on Sept 7, she took a taxi from her home in Whampoa Drive to Woodlands at 12.30am. During the journey, she told the cabby she had lost her wallet.
When they arrived at Woodlands Avenue 7, she wrote her name, identity card and cellphone numbers on a piece of paper and gave it to the driver. He also took her picture.
She promised to pay the $25.20 fare the next day. But when she failed to answer his text messages, the driver went to the police.
Lee, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty to two charges of fare evasion. She was fined $600 on each count.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) allowed her to settle the other 32 outstanding fares. Lee promised the judge that she would not repeat her mistake.
Prosecuting officer Steven Lua said she had taken advantage of taxi drivers doing an honest job.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 on each charge.
ComfortDelGro, the biggest taxi company here with a fleet of about 15,600 cabs, has seen an increase in the number of reported fare cheat cases.
Its spokesman Tammy Tan said the number of such cases for the first half of this year has gone up, compared to about 1,000 cases in the same period last year.
The LTA and the Public Transport Council received about 70 taxi fare evasion reports last year.
The spokesman for the authority also said that there were close to 30 taxi fare evasion cases from January to May this year.
The LTA helped recover the fares in some cases while investigations were ongoing for the rest.
While Lee is not the first to be taken to court for dodging fares, The Straits Times understands that prosecutions are rare.
Cabbies said they do not like to report fare evaders to the police as it could take time. Cabby Neil Lee, 60, said: 'Some of us accept it as an occupational hazard.'
National Taxi Association advisor Ang Hin Kee noted that many cases go unreported by cabbies.
'This issue is one which many drivers do experience,' he said. 'With this court case, maybe commuters who are tempted to cheat on fares will think twice.'
Every day, seven people enjoy a 'free' ride when they flee without paying the cab fare.
And these are just the ones known about because they are reported by two of the bigger taxi companies here.
Many more cases go unreported because cabbies do not
see the point of going to the police when they do not have details of
the passengers.
Mr Ramli Suri, 49, a cabby for the last
four years said: 'If he runs off and the fare is $6 or $7, I don't have
time to waste chasing him down. I'd rather just move along to the next
passenger.'
SINGAPORE - Every day, at least seven people flee without paying for their cab ride,
said The Straits Times (ST).
And there could be more as these are just the ones that have been reported by two bigger taxi companies here.
Last Tuesday, Tanya Azurre Lee, 29, pleaded guilty to two charges of fare evasion. She was fined $600 for each offence.
Lee managed to avoid paying for at least 34 cab rides before she was caught, according to ST.
This recent case has given cabbies some hope that fare dodgers can be
tracked down and punished as most of them do not see the point of
reporting them to the police when they do not have details of the
passengers.
A 49-year-old cabby, Mr Ramli Suri, who has been in the trade for the
last four years, said that it is a waste of time chasing the
taxi fare cheat down, especially when the fare is just $6 or $7. "I'd
rather just move along to the next passenger," he said.
Under the law, fare evasion carries a maximum fine of $2,000 or six months' jail for repeat offenders - per charge.
PS:
Everyday, at least 7 fare cheats.
Thats a lot.
At least some are caught and punished.
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