Singapore Grab driver suspended for charging nearly $4 'VIP' fee after passenger requests air-conditioning

Dominic, the passenger, told Singapore news outlet Stomp that the incident occurred on May 18 when he booked a ride between Orchard and Bencoolen, two central neighborhoods in the city.

"During the journey, I asked the driver to turn on the air-conditioning," Dominic said. "He did so without comment, only to message me after the trip via the Grab app, stating that he had added a $5 charge for 'VIP treatment'."

He said he was surprised by the surcharge, which was neither discussed nor agreed upon during the ride.

"It was imposed entirely at the driver's discretion, with no transparency or consent on my part," he added. "It sets a worrying precedent if passengers can be subject to arbitrary fees after a trip has ended."

A Grab car is seen on Oct. 29, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham

Dominic also shared a screenshot of his response to the driver, in which he stated that he would report the charge to Grab. The driver then replied with a curt message: "Aircon number 3 u think u what VIP?"

In response to Stomp’s queries, Grab said it had taken immediate action.

"We are sorry about the unpleasant experience this passenger encountered," a Grab spokesperson said. "It is against our driver-partner code of conduct to impose additional charges unless there is a valid reason - such as extra stops beyond the initial booking or for additional child seats."

"A request to adjust the air-conditioning should not have incurred a fee," the spokesperson added. "The driver-partner's actions are not reflective of the standards we hold, nor of the vast majority of our driver-partners."

According to Malay Mail, Grab confirmed that the driver’s account has been temporarily suspended and a full refund has been issued to the passenger.