Da Nang driver fined for cheating Korean tourist

By Nguyen Dong February 20, 2023 | 04:15 am PT

Passengers at the Da Nang Airport, February 1, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

A Da Nang man was fined VND11 million ($463.65) for impersonating a taxi driver and charging a South Korean tourist 10 times the usual fare.

Truong Hai, 31, approached Heo Hyeyun, 35, at the Da Nang Airport on December 27 last year and offered to give her a ride to the Novotel hotel in Hai Chau District.

Hai was not a licensed taxi driver.

Heo Hyeyun had already booked a Grab ride at the time, but Hai grabbed her phone and canceled the booking himself, said head inspector of the Da Nang Department of Transport Tran Lanh on Monday.

When they reached the Bach Dang-Ly Tu Trong intersection next to the Novotel hotel, Hai charged Heo ₩120,000 ($92.55) for a 4.5-km ride, over 10 times the usual fare.

Heo then reported the incident to the Department of Tourism’s customer feedback division. Da Nang police then summoned Hai, and he admitted to having overcharged the passenger.

Hai was eventually fined VND11 million for offering car transportation services without a license. His driver license was also temporarily revoked.

The customer feedback division then eventually returned VND2.11 million ($89) to Heo.