HIS passenger vomited, sitting in the front seat of his taxi, so the cabby asked for $40 as compensation.

The cabby, who wanted to be known only as Mr J K, claimed this sparked off an argument, which resulted in him being assaulted.

The passenger, 18-year-old student Zulfaqar, who didn't want to give his full name, was with his mother and aunt at the time.

His mother, Madam Rasidah, 43, a production operator, felt the amount demanded was 'unreasonable' and contacted The New Paper.

'I had only $20 in cash and offered it to the taxi driver,' she said. That included the $9.80 fare.

'My son has worked as a cleaner in petrol kiosks and it costs only $3 to $4 to clean up the mess.'

The trio hailed Mr J K's Comfort taxi on Carpenter Street around 4.20pm on 21 Dec, after a workplace celebration at a nightclub.

When they reached their home, Mr Zulfaqar threw up.

Mr J K recalled: 'The stench was so bad that even I wanted to vomit.'

He asked Madam Rasidah for $40 as he felt the mess was extensive, but he said Zulfaqar became upset.

'He took off his shirt and chased me around the taxi, even punching my vehicle, causing some dents,' said Mr J K.

'Although the two women tried to pull him away, they were unsuccessful.'

Mr J K claimed he was punched and kicked. He sought treatment at Alexandra Hospital and was given two days' medical leave.

But Madam Rasidah challenged this version, claiming she had restrained her son, so 'there was no way he could have hit the driver'.

She also alleged the driver pulled her sister-in-law's scarf, tearing it and causing her to fall.

The police were called and both parties made reports.

A police spokesman said both parties were advised to lodge a magistrate's complaint if they want to pursue the matter.

In the end, Mr J K took the $20 and left.

He said the mess was so bad that he was turned away at two petrol stations near Clementi. A third agreed to clean it for $30 and he showed The New Paper a receipt for it.

Mr J K felt his request for $40 as compensation was not unreasonable.

'The fare was almost $10 and after deducting the cleaning cost, the remainder was to cover my loss of income,' he said.

'The cleaners hosed the inside of the taxi and applied disinfectant. It took them one hour to clean it and I could not drive during this period.'

COMPANY FOOTING BILL

ComfortDelGro spokesman Tammy Tan said the company does not have guidelines on how much compensation their cabbies can ask for. The amount is dependent on how bad the mess is.

Said Ms Tan: 'Nonetheless, we welcome or appreciate tips or tokens passengers may choose to extend to our cabbies for the inconvenience.'

ComfortDelGro will be reimbursing Mr J K for the car wash and taxi fare.

Mr J K, who has been a cabby for four years, said this was not the first time passengers have dirtied his taxi.

He said others had compensated him between $30 and $40, depending on how bad the mess was.

Mr J K said he was not too worried about such incidents happening again.

'It's part and parcel of life and also involves an element of luck because what you get ultimately depends on individual customers,' he said.