Passenger Reports PHV Driver After Video Was Seen Playing On Dashboard-Mounted Phone During Ride

Most of us have probably started watching something on our phones, got distracted and accidentally left it playing.

But what if you were behind the wheel?

A passenger in Singapore has raised concerns after noticing a video playing on a private hire driver's phone during a recent 10-minute journey.

The clip also showed that they were 300m away from Lower Delta Road.

The incident was shared on Facebook group Complaint Singapore, where the passenger posted footage showing a video playing on a phone mounted near the driver's dashboard while the vehicle was moving.

Yikes! What if the episode ended on a cliffhanger and he was dying to know what happened next?

Now, before anyone reaches for their pitchforks, it isn't clear whether the driver was actually looking at the video while driving.

Maybe he had been watching something earlier while waiting for a job, and simply forgot to switch it off?

What we do know is that the passenger wasn't comfortable that it was still playing while the driver was driving.

However, in a lengthy Facebook post, the passenger claimed that seeing PHV drivers streaming shows and videos had become increasingly common in Singapore.

"Streaming dramas and videos has practically become part of the standard package for private hire drivers in Singapore now," they claimed

During this particular ride, they considered speaking up.

"To the driver, it was just a 10-minute trip. I was sorely tempted to voice out on the spot, but after seeing viral videos of drivers turning aggressive and shouting at passengers, why risk an escalation inside a moving car?" they wrote.

Instead, the passenger recorded what was happening from the back seat.

Their main concern was simple: whatever is playing inside the car shouldn't distract the person responsible for driving it.

"Keeping your eyes on the road is a basic legal requirement, not an optional feature you unlock with higher fares," they wrote.

The passenger also anticipated criticism that posting the footage could jeopardise the driver's livelihood.

"If you choose to gamble passengers' lives just to binge-watch shows while navigating traffic, you are the one breaking your own rice bowl," they wrote.

The passenger says they subsequently lodged an official report about the incident before posting the footage online.

Netizens were divided. Some commenters agreed with the passenger and felt the driver should face consequences.

"They are so unbelievably selfish playing with people's lives this way," said one. 

Another was even more direct, and wrote, "I hope he loses his licence for good."

Others, however, questioned whether a video simply playing meant the driver was actually watching it.

"Wahhhh. Now I cannot play music on YouTube on my Android player anymore already. If not, I also become viral already," joked one commenter.

Another asked: "Listen also got problem now?"

There were also those who questioned why the incident needed to be posted publicly at all.

"Any issue with the driver, just feedback to [the] platform. Why must post on social media?" asked one.

Under Singapore's Road Traffic Act, motorists must not drive without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users.

For a basic offence under Section 65 where no hurt, grievous hurt or death is caused, a first-time offender can be fined up to S$1,500, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Repeat offenders can face a fine of up to S$3,000, up to 12 months' jail, or both.