Hanoi taxi driver arrested for charging ethnic man $160 for 30-km ride, 10 times the normal fare

The police said Tuesday that Thai Ngoc Anh, 32, of Thanh Xuan District is being investigated for "extortion" and have also taken in some others involved in the incident that took place last Friday.

Thai Ngoc Anh at a police station in Hanoi. Photo by police

At 2 p.m. Friday Giang Ho, 25, an ethnic Hmong man living in Muong Khuong District, Lao Cai Province, and his 32-year-old aunt, Cu Mua, took motorbikes on a ride-hailing app from the National Children's Hospital to the My Dinh Bus Station in the capital to catch a bus back home.

When they arrived at the bus station, two motorbike taxi drivers approached them and offered to take them to Pham Hung Street to catch the bus bound for Lao Cai as the bus had already left the station.

After a kilometer or so, one of the motorbike driver informed them that the bus had already reached the expressway to Lao Cai, and suggested that they should take a taxi to reach it.

The duo had to pay him VND700,000 (US$26.83), including for the taxi they had to take next.

Anh, the driver of the taxi, dropped the two near the expressway after traveling around 30 km, and demanded payment of VND4.2 million ($161).

Giang Ho (R) files a report at a police station in Hanoi as his aunt looks down. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Truong

Ho told him he had already paid the motorbike driver and asked for his phone number to "confront" him, but Anh disagreed, threatening to drive them back to My Dinh station if they didn't pay.

Ho had to borrow the money from relatives back home to pay Anh.

After leaving the car, Ho and his aunt walked onto the Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway where they met a passing driver who gave them a free ride to catch the bus.

It was this driver who recorded their entire story as they told him, and posted the video on social media, where is spread quickly.

Taxi fares vary depending on company, vehicle type and region, but is generally VND10,000 - 12,000 each for the first one or two kilometers and VND11,000 - 15,000 for subsequent kilometers.

Thus, a 30-km trip would cost no more than VND400,000.