A TAXI driver and his passenger were held at knifepoint and relieved of $280 in total by a man on Nov 20.

The cabby, who is in his 40s, picked up a passenger with a bandaged leg and a walking stick in Geylang Lorong 15.

Just after the passenger got on board, a man wearing a yellow work helmet got in too from the other side. He brandished a 30cm-long knife at the driver, held it to his throat and told him: "Just drive."

It is not clear whether a destination was specified, but after travelling less than 4km, the driver was told to stop his cab near a Hindu temple in Kampong Bugis.

The robber demanded the duo hand over their money, and then fled towards a construction site. The cabby gave chase for 400m but stopped when the robber threatened him with the knife and said: "Stop chasing me!"

The evening newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported that the area was cordoned off for six hours as police combed the area.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Nov 21, 2008.