April 17, 2023, 07:13 PM
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A young man was allegedly strangled by a taxi driver in a fight in Johor Bahru (JB), Malaysia, after he told the driver that the fare quoted was too expensive, China Press reported.
The incident was witnessed by a man, purportedly a Singaporean, who then shared the incident anonymously in a Facebook post.
Strangled his neck
The man who shared the incident was waiting for a bus at JB Central when he saw a taxi driver sitting by the side of the road.
A young man then approached the driver to inquire about the fare to go to Larkin bus terminal, to which the latter replied it would cost RM60 (S$18).
The Larkin bus terminal is 6.7km away from JB Central and would take roughly 25 minutes to reach by car.
Distance between JB Central and Larkin bus terminal. Image via Google Maps.
The young man felt that the quoted price was too expensive and decided to ask other drivers instead.
The first driver chased after the young man and asked for his view on a reasonable price for the taxi fare.
The young man then replied the trip would only cost him RM12 (S$3.62) if he were to take Grab.
He accused the driver of overcharging him, which provoked the driver.
The witness alleged a short scuffle ensued between the two, before the driver walked behind the young man and strangled his neck with his arms, causing him to almost suffocate.
Image via 新加坡大声公 Singapore Shout-out/Facebook.
The young man then yelled loudly, attracting the attention of nearby auxiliary police who then warned the driver to let go.
"The worst thing was that during this process, the other drivers did not intervene to stop the incident," the anonymous person wrote in the post. The person added,
"When the young man asked for witnesses, they are talking, smiling and watching the live show instead. What exactly can be done to get this driver to be punished?"
Reactions
The post has since sparked a conversation regarding taxi services in Malaysia.
One pointed out that this is the reason why Grab and Uber "almost completely wiped out taxi drivers".
Image via 新加坡大声公 Singapore Shout-out/Facebook.
One user suggested taking a taxi with a meter instead of taking one that opted to quote a price.
Image via 新加坡大声公 Singapore Shout-out/Facebook.
One user suggests taking Grab directly next time to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Image via 新加坡大声公 Singapore Shout-out/Facebook.
Top image via 新加坡大声公 Singapore Shout-out/Facebook.
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