It’s a rather low-key decree, but Uber and Grab drivers are perfectly within their rights when they outrightly refuse to take passengers who travel with young children.
It’s not because drivers can’t stand the rowdy antics of young ‘uns — they’re just obeying the law, The New Paper recently uncovered. Not many commuters are aware that it’s actually illegal for private hire cars to carry passengers under 1.35m without a booster seat or a child restraint for safety.
So when drivers refuse to let your little runts into their cars, know that they just want to avoid facing a fine of $120 and three demerit points. If the case gets dragged to court, it’ll be up to $1,000 in fines or three months in prison.
Not that it matters to some passengers, who don’t see the difference between riding in taxis and private hire cars. Speaking to The New Paper, some drivers under Grab and Uber have faced hostile customers who were refused service for travelling with toddlers.
Taxis are exempted from the rule as they are considered public service vehicles — it would not be reasonable for them to carry child or booster seats. That means customers can still work around the rule by booking standard cabs through Uber and Grab. Grab says that they even have the GrabFamily service, where cars are equipped with booster seats for children.
