Singapore ride-hailing service suspends Chinese driver for racist comments at passenger

A Singapore-based Chinese cab driver who allegedly hurled racist comments at a woman and her daughter assuming she was of Indian origin has been suspended by ride-hailing platform Tada, the company has said.

A spokesperson for the company said the action was taken against the driver following a thorough investigation into the incident, which was recorded on video by the passenger and her young daughter.

Last Saturday, Facebook user Jan Hoeden uploaded two videos that captured an argument between her and the driver, as well as a screenshot of the Tada app that showed the driver's face and her travel route.

Hoeden, who is 46 years old and of Eurasian origin, said in her post that the argument started when the driver 'accused' her of giving him wrong directions. The woman claimed that she did not even advise or say anything to him.

As the conversation got more heated, the driver can be heard telling the passenger that she should not be 'hao lian', or Teochew for boastful.

When Hoeden replied in Mandarin that she was not 'hao lian', the driver began raising his voice and said, "You are Indian, I am Chinese."

He later told Hoeden that she was 'the very worst' customer, even as she told him repeatedly that she was not Indian but Eurasian.

In its statement on Tuesday, Tada said the driver's remarks that insinuated racial differences are 'completely unacceptable' with the platform's community guidelines and ethos.