Picky SMRT taxi driver holds up queue at MBS Tower 1 and hurls vulgarities at people who tell him off

Stomper Infuriated alerted Stomp to an errant SMRT taxi driver who hogs the taxi stand at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Tower 1 daily, and refuses to drive off until he picks up passengers going to places of attraction. 

Said the Stomper:

"The picky SMRT taxi driver of SHC4553J is at the taxi stand of MBS Tower 1 every morning at around 4am.

"Most of the time when he is first in the queue, he will stand outside his cab and ask passengers very bluntly where they intend to go.

"If pax say they want to go to Orchard or anywhere else, he won't pick them up. He only goes to places of attraction like Universal Studios Singapore (USS), Singapore Zoo or Jurong Bird Park.

"He will then ask them, "Have you bought an entrance ticket?"

"If they have bought it already, he will reject them by saying that he is on call. He only picks passengers who have not bought a ticket.

"This is because if he brings the passengers to purchase tickets, he will get a commission. For example, a standard ticket at USS costs $74. He will get around $12 commission.

"This has been happening for at least two years already. Many taxi drivers queuing behind him feel that it is very unfair but they can't do anything because the driver is very aggressive if they approach him. 

"I quarrelled with him before because he rejected a passenger who wanted to go to the east. After I told him that it was not right for him to pick and choose passengers, he shouted vulgarities at me. 

"Sometimes I even see MBS staff at the taxi stand help the man choose passengers. 

"I hope that the relevant authorities will do something about this before it is too late as a fight is just waiting to happen.

"The MBS management should also do something about this. Taxi drivers like him are spoiling the reputation of MBS and making tourists have a bad impression of Singapore.

"There are a lot of drivers queuing for passengers. I want the driver to know that he cannot stay there and be picky about passengers.

"If you don't like where the passenger is going, you have to drive out of the taxi stand. If you are on call, you have to wait somewhere else."

The Stomper also added that there are many other drivers who are doing the same thing at the MBS taxi stand. 

In the video the Stomper contributed, the SMRT taxi can be seen parked at a taxi stand on Monday (Apr 10). Passengers try to enter the vehicle but the driver locks the doors. 

A man wearing a yellow shirt directs passengers to other taxis parked behind. Towards the end of the video, the picky driver drives off after being confronted by a man in a dark blue shirt, leaving three prospective passengers at the taxi stand.