SINGAPORE — For 49-year-old private-hire driver Raj, receiving “unreasonable” requests from passengers is just part of the job.

For instance, there was once when a passenger told him that two “big dogs” would be going along for the ride — just as the driver was about to reach the location, which was on Sentosa Island.

Mr Raj, who declined to give his full name, is not registered as a GrabPet vehicle, the pet-friendly option provided by ride-hailing application Grab.

“If it’s a small puppy or medium-sized, I don’t mind,” he added.

“But you should just call GrabPet, right? You want to save the S$10 or the extra charges, then you call and tell me when I’m almost reaching. How would you feel?”

To avoid getting into an argument, Mr Raj cancelled the ride.

He is not alone in facing such predicaments. Recently, an account of a driver who was asked to drive up to a sixth-floor car park to pick up his passengers made the rounds on social media. 

Other private-hire drivers told TODAY that they have also had to deal with “unreasonable” requests, sometimes on a daily basis.

One driver said that he was treated like a courier.

“There are times when you go to the pick-up point and they expect you to pick up their bags and go somewhere else. The person is not there for the ride,” 52-year-old Gary Harris said.

“(It’s) like a Lalamove service… Lalamove can be a bit more costly, so they may take advantage of the private-hire drivers.”

Lalamove is a delivery and logistics service provider that charges different rates to deliver small to bulky items, food or grocery, among other things, depending on the distance and vehicle needed for transport.

Another common grievance among private-hire car drivers: Bookings made for a four-seater sedan, but five or six people show up for the ride — more than what is legally allowed. 

Then there are people who ask to be picked up at a different point than what is indicated in the ride-hailing app, which drivers said would cost them in terms of time wasted because they would have to search for the rider’s exact location.

The time spent doing so could affect the potential earnings from a new trip, or affect their ratings for the next trip if they take too long.

HOW DRIVERS RESOLVE DISAGREEMENTS

Some drivers suffer losses in trying to resolve such disagreements.

Mr Raj who has been a private-hire driver for about four years said: “I have, over the years, just learned to accept such requests or ignore them. If it’s too much of a bother, I’ll just cancel the job.

“Of course, I’ll get penalised, but it’s well worth it rather than going through the entire ride with the passenger unhappy at you or you unhappy at the passenger, and having a confrontation.”

Another private-hire driver N Ravindran, 70, said that he would try to let passengers know if he felt that they were being unreasonable. If they are not amenable, there is not much more he can do, he added.

Once, a customer left her belongings in his car and asked him to drive to Jurong to return them. Mr Ravindran was already in Punggol, but he made the trip to avoid further trouble.

Private-hire driver Leonard Lim, 36, said that he would usually ask riders who are unhappy about their declined requests to take their complaints to Grab.

Others would rather settle disagreements privately because it might mean more time and money lost otherwise.

Mr Harris said: “You need to press one, press two (on the number pad), then wait for the platform’s call centre to answer. It’s another 10 minutes of your time.”

That is why he prefers to directly resolve any disagreements with the customers if possible, he added.

Gojek, another ride-hailing firm, asks its drivers to escalate any disputes to its support team for assistance.

The platform’s advice to its drivers, in its driver code of conduct published online, goes: “In the event of a conflict with a customer, do not escalate any tension. Do not engage in aggressive and violent behaviour or speech at any point in time with a customer.”

In its online code of conduct for consumers, Grab advises its riders to “use the right service”, such as when travelling with more than four passengers, or if they need to send an item to a friend.

The platform also advises passengers to not use Grab to “deliver unaccompanied goods”, unless they are specifically using its GrabFood or GrabExpress services.

Similarly, in its community guidelines published online addressing both drivers and riders, ride-hailing app Tada states: “Calm and clear communication is the most effective way to defuse any disagreement that may arise between you and another driver and/or a rider.”

It also advises riders to treat the platform’s drivers “as how you would like to be treated yourself: With respect”.

Agreeing, Mr Harris asks riders to spare a thought for the driver.

“They’re also earning a living. They also want to serve you to the best that they can,” he said.

“So put yourself in the shoes of the driver. Drivers are answerable to the platform operators as well as to the next passenger who is also waiting.”