TAXI DRIVERS' RIGHT OF DEFENCE AGAINST DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Maj Fong Sip Chee asked the Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Defence and Second Minister for National Development (1) does a defendant taxi driver under disciplinary inquiry have the right to question a complainant and, if so, how many such taxi drivers have been given the opportunity to exercise the right; (2) how many cases were heard in the absence of the complainants; (3) if he is satisfied that, in the circumstances, the disciplinary body is not playing the roles of 'prosecution and jury'; (4) if he will agree that the present disciplinary procedure is incongruous to the principle of natural justice; and (5) if he will therefore review the procedure so as to ensure that a taxi driver who has been accused by a tourist of having committed any breach of the licensing conditions, shall have the right of a full and proper defence, including the right to question the complainant.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Taxi drivers under disciplinary inquiry by ROV do not question the complainants in person. If this were so, very few complainants would be willing to lodge their complaints because of the unpleasant nature of a face to face confrontation.

In all cases of complaints, the complainants must be personally interviewed by ROV officers. If they are unwilling to be interviewed, ROV will not pursue the case any further.

The ROV is an impartial body in all disciplinary inquiries. It acts upon complaints against commuters by taxi drivers, as well as complaints against taxi drivers by commuters. Taxi drivers are given a thorough and fair hearing. They are free to rebut or deny any of the complaints made. ROV's duty is to examine the merits of each case taking into consideration all the evidence available and to perform this difficult but necessary task fairly and impartially.

Only if there is evidence of wrong doing, would the Registrar of Vehicles take disciplinary action.

I am satisfied that the present procedures are satisfactory and enable Singapore to have a high level of taxi service with the minimum of complaints.