Ride-hailing trip in Singapore sparks probe over driver’s language rule (VIDEO)

SINGAPORE, April 10 — A Grab ride in Singapore has drawn public attention after a passenger noticed a sign in the vehicle indicating the driver would only speak Chinese to Chinese-speaking passengers.

According to Mothership, the incident was shared on TikTok by a passenger identified as Alicia, who said she posted about it after struggling to process what she had seen.

Alicia told the outlet she had initially greeted the driver in English but received what she described as a curt, non-verbal response.

It was only after sitting down in the car that she noticed the sign, which she said she had to read several times as she found it hard to believe.

She added that the situation also posed difficulties for her husband, who is not fluent in Mandarin.

Alicia said he had spent part of his teenage years studying overseas and faced additional challenges learning the language due to dyslexia.

She also noted that he does not come from a Chinese-speaking household, describing his family background as Peranakan, with his mother conversant in Malay and Hokkien.

Speaking more broadly, Alicia argued that “Chinese” is not limited to Mandarin alone, but also includes various dialects brought by earlier generations to Singapore.

She said that in a multi-racial society like Singapore, no single language should dominate over others.

“I’m not saying learn English only. I’m saying that English is the only language that is uniting us now,” she said, adding that relying solely on one ethnic language could erode shared identity in a diverse society.

Alicia described the sign as offensive and said she had lodged a complaint with Grab.

Grab later responded to her report and also commented on her video, saying the behaviour did not align with the inclusive environment it aims to uphold and confirming it would look into the matter.

In a statement to Mothership, a Grab spokesperson said the company enforces a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination.

The driver has since been suspended, required to remove the signage, and will undergo a mandatory coaching session before any consideration of reinstatement.

Grab added that all partners share responsibility in maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment for users.