SINGAPORE, Nov 1 — A woman’s late-night ride home took an unexpected turn after her private-hire driver allegedly claimed that road closures prevented him from taking her to her destination, and attempted to drop her off at a deserted bus stop. 

Sharing her experience on social media on Wednesday, the woman, who goes by the name Rose Ann, said what was supposed to be a 26-minute journey turned into a prolonged ordeal that left her fearing for her safety.

She said a male friend booked a Grab ride for her from Circuit Road to Yishun on a Saturday night, with the driver arriving at around 12.50am.

“At first everything was fine, the uncle was friendly cool and talkative. He even asked if I smoked and offered to open the windows for me,” she said. 

However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the driver allegedly told her that Lentor Avenue, which was part of their route, was closed, prompting him to take an alternative route.

Despite attempting several routes, Rose Ann said they encountered multiple road closures.

By around 1.30am, the pair ended up near SBS Transit’s premises in Yio Chu Kang.

Friend notices car travelling in wrong direction

Meanwhile, the friend who had booked the ride for her also noticed that the vehicle appeared to be travelling in the wrong direction, prompting him to call her after receiving a red alert on his app.

Despite being assured by the driver, Rose Ann soon realised that he was heading away from her destination in Yishun as before.

When she questioned him, she said the driver allegedly turned the vehicle around and headed towards Mandai.

“He said he was going to drop me off somewhere, then he stopped at a dark, quiet, empty bus stop. I was shaking (and) I felt like I was in a horror movie,” she recounted.

Driver offered to continue journey for extra payment

After further discussion, Rose Ann claimed the driver offered to try another route, but said she would have to pay extra.

During this period, Rose Ann said her friend had also reported the incident to Grab. 

When the journey eventually resumed, Grab reportedly called the driver, and she claimed that he refused to answer the calls.

When Rose Ann finally arrived at her block in Yishun, she asked the driver to drop her off at the entrance.

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, a Grab spokesman said it is aware of the incident.

“We are committed to providing safe and reliable rides for all passengers, and we are currently looking into this matter,” said the spokesman.

AsiaOne has reached out to Rose Ann for more information. — AsiaOne