Rule Requiring Drivers of Public Service Vehicles to Ensure No Property Left Behind by Passengers Before or After Trip

7 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Transport regarding rule 39(1) of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Vocational Licences and Conduct of Drivers, Conductors, Trishaw Riders and Passengers) Rules which requires drivers to ensure that no property is left inside their vehicle immediately before or at the end of a journey (a) whether the rule is practicable considering simultaneous boarding and alighting of passengers and where items are small or left at blind spots; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider amending this rule.

8 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the factors taken into account by LTA in its determination on whether to issue a taxi or private hire driver with a warning letter for failing to check for a passenger's belongings left behind in their car after a trip has ended; and (b) what appeal avenues are available to drivers who receive such a letter.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 7 and 8 together?

Mr Speaker: Yes, please.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: The current requirement for point-to-point transport, or P2P, drivers to check for items left behind by passengers at the end of every trip is a longstanding one under Rule 39(1) of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Vocational Licences and Conduct of Drivers, Conductors, Trishaw Riders and Passengers) Rules. It is meant to serve the interests of drivers, as it aims to avoid disputes when passengers leave belongings in their vehicles.

However, recognising operational constraints, drivers are not expected to stop their vehicles and get out of their seats to check for items left behind by passengers. Instead, a quick visual scan from the driver's seat will be sufficient. P2P drivers are taught this practice during their Vocational Licence training course. Passengers are also reminded to be responsible for their belongings when taking P2P trips. For example, some operators provide reminders to passengers at the end of the trips through app notifications.

I would like to assure Members that the current rule is not meant to be punitive, but instead to encourage a good practice. LTA has only issued warnings in a few instances and has not imposed any financial penalties or demerit points on drivers for non-compliance. The warning recently issued to a driver for breaching this rule has been withdrawn, following appeals to LTA through the driver's Member of Parliament and the National Taxi Association.

LTA will take this opportunity to not only review how this best practice should be encouraged to protect the interests of both drivers and their passengers, but also conduct a broader review of best practices for P2P drivers. LTA is, thus, working with our tripartite partners, our P2P operators and the driver associations to undertake this review, taking into consideration recent public feedback and will share the outcome of the review when ready.

Mr Speaker: Mr Don Wee.

Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. In Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I have a question. First, I would like to declare that my father, uncle and cousin are taxi drivers. Can the Minister consider to completely remove this regulation? In reality, during peak period at taxi stands, it is impossible for the taxi driver to reject a passenger from coming into the taxi after the earlier passenger had alighted, because the driver needs to get out to check the rear row, which includes lifting up the carpets if they follow the spirit of the regulation. This is not practical. In addition, some taxis do broadcast reminders to remind the passengers to check their belongings before alighting.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his clarification and suggestion. First, let me say that as I have explained in my reply earlier, the intent of this rule is to encourage drivers to adopt this good practice to check for belongings that might have been left behind by passengers. This really serves not just the interest of the drivers, but also of the passengers. For the drivers, it is especially to avoid any potential disputes if the left behind items cannot be found later on.

And for the passengers, if the drivers do that and discover the left behind item quickly, that will reduce the stress on the passengers.

But having said that, the rule does recognise that there are operational constraints. So, in fact, if you read the rule, it says "as far as practicable", which means that when we implement this, we are not requiring the drivers to get out of their cars, as the Member has said, to check for left items. Really, it is doing a quick visual scan from the driver's seat and I think that will suffice. Indeed, many drivers do find left behind items just by visual scanning.

Having said that, as I have said, we have actually not imposed any financial penalties or demerit points on drivers; just written warnings in a few instances and that is really to encourage adoption of the good practice.

As I have said, we hear the feedback from the drivers' community, the association as well as Members. We will take this opportunity to conduct a broader review, not just of this rule, but how we can encourage this practice without making it seem too onerous, as well as review broader best practices for P2P drivers. And we are doing it with P2P operators as well as the drivers associations and we will share it when we are ready with the outcome.

Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. Our driving community at the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association had expressed their concerns over the practical realities of being able to check, with absolute certainty, whether a passenger had left their belongings in the cars when they alight. And I am very glad that LTA will consider relooking at this rule on punitive actions against our drivers if they have not done so.

However, given this and the feedback that the drivers have given, will LTA also look at joint public education campaigns, letting our drivers and passengers know that it is a joint effort on belongings that are left behind and also to work with more of the taxi and private hire platforms on ensuring that there are reminders, whether it is on the app or in the taxis via stickers and all that, on reminding people not to leave their items behind?

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for her suggestion. Certainly, we will work together with our P2P operators as well as the associations to look at how we can remind drivers as well as passengers to take some responsibility, in terms of stewardship of the vehicles as well as responsibility for their personal belongings through notices or apps and so on.

And just to share with Members too – besides teaching the drivers this practice during their Vocational Licence training course, they are also reminded of this practice when they undergo their refresher course.