Private-hire cars are a fixture in Singapore's transport industry, and now people from all walks of life hop on them and use them all the time.

These groups of people, naturally, include families with young children — and in some cases, babies.

This scenario, however, gave rise to legislation from the authorities, which requires private-hire cars that carry children below 1.35m in height to be equipped with booster seats.

Taxis are exempted from this rule because... they are public service vehicles and so ply the roads for passengers, and are not hired under a contract.

Trouble from child-wielding passengers

Now, in private hire car forums online, many Uber and Grab drivers have faced a lot of trouble from passengers as a result of this rule.

Some passengers are kind enough to text the driver beforehand to inform them that they have children accompanying them, and to check if they have enough booster seats for them. If not, the passengers will cancel the trip.

Most, however, don't feel the same need to be considerate, so by the time the car shows up, the driver discovers to his horror, perhaps two parents with two toddlers in tow, and no booster seats for them to be strapped into.

After a dispute, the driver has no choice but to lower his acceptance rate (and waste his time) by cancelling the ride, especially when the passenger refuses to cancel from his or her end.

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Enter this proactive Grab driver

One, therefore, took the proactive step of printing an online article about the issue and pasting it to the back of his front seats' headrests.

In summary, the article covers the following points:

• If a private hire car does not have the requisite booster seats or child restraints for a child passenger under 1.35m in height, its driver has the legal right to stop passengers from boarding.
• Insurance for private hire cars does not cover young children.

Which, we suppose, are good reminders for passengers riding the driver's car. Or, in the circumstance of a dispute the driver is facing with a prospective passenger-with-small-children-in-tow, a good weapon to back up his bid to reject them.

We understand the driver did not himself experience this before, but recalls reading about other drivers' accounts online, and also believes many parents of young children are still not aware of this rule.

So now you know. Please share this with your parents-of-young-children friends.

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 Top photo: Tan Guan Zhen, Grab Facebook page