Cabby bashed by two bikers after accident
A cabby's decision to join the queue of taxis outside Orchard Towers resulted in a broken nose and blurred vision.
Mr Ng Ah Meng, 70, who has been plying the streets for about 30 years, was allegedly beaten up by two men on motorcycles early on Monday.
After dropping off a passenger near Orchard Road at around 2.30am, he joined the line of cabs at the taxi stand on Claymore Road next to Orchard Towers.
"That was the time when the clubs close and people go home. I (thought) I could get a fare there," Mr Ng, who has two daughters and two grandchildren, told The New Paper on Wednesday evening.
But just as he slowed down to make a U-turn in front of Pan Pacific Orchard, he felt a bump against the rear passenger door on the driver's side.
A motorcyclist had knocked into his taxi and fallen off his bike.
Mr Ng said: "I had wanted to use the driveway at the hotel to make the U-turn, but because of the bump, I made the U-turn on the road instead.
"I stopped next to some parked cars and was prepared to get out to make sure no one was hurt."
PUNCHED
That was when two motorcyclists, including the one who fell off, assaulted him, he said.
"One of them opened my taxi door and before I could say anything, he punched me really hard on the nose. The one who fell off came up and punched me in the face as well," Mr Ng recalled.
"I felt seven to eight punches to my face. They also shouted 'Pay money!' twice in English."
They stopped only when passers-by and a cabby approached them. They fled on their bikes.
The police confirmed receiving a call at 2.56am on Mondayrequesting for help at Claymore Road.
When they arrived, they "established that a case of voluntarily causing hurt had occurred," said a spokesman. They are investigating the matter.
Mr Ng was taken to the Singapore General Hospital with a broken nose and blurred vision.
As he has hypertension, Mr Ng was on blood thinners, which means his blood takes a long time to clot, so he bled profusely.
When TNP met him, Mr Ng was still feeling groggy.
His daughter, Ms Coco Ng, has turned to social media to find the passers-by and cabby who helped her father after the assault.
The part-time saleswoman said: "I am hoping that through Facebook, WeChat and some of the car forum sites, someone will step forward and help to identify the men who assaulted my father."
ATTACKS ON CABBIES THIS YEAR
JAN 17
A Singapore Institute of Management student held down Mr Seah Teck Kim, 65, and punched him in the face repeatedly for trying to wake him up at his destination in Choa Chu Kang Crescent.
The student was sentenced to three weeks' jail.
JAN 18
A bank employee punched Mr Chia Hong Kian, 62, at Tampines Street 43 at about 4am, first for waking him up and again, for telling him the fare was about $25.
The man was jailed for five weeks.
FEB 2
Cabby Abdul Latiff Ismail, 53, was assaulted by three teens at 1.40am in Japanese Garden Roadfor a coin pouch containing just $5.
Two of them were sentenced to 24 months of probation after pleading guilty.
MARCH 19
Five men, aged between 23 and 27, assaulted a taxi driver near the junction of Lorong 11 Geylang. He had told them he could not ferry all five of them in his taxi as it exceeded the number of passengers allowed.
All five were arrested.
JUNE 22
A project executive punched Mr Mohamed Zaki Md Jizan, 32, on the face and broke his nose during a dispute over payment for the taxi fare at a carpark at Block 450, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
He was jailed for six weeks.
SEPT 22
Taxi driver Chan Chuan Heng, 46, said he was attacked by a Caucasian who had tried to force open the door of his parked taxi near Boat Quay. When Mr Chan declined to take the passenger, the man attacked him, sat on his back and squeezed his neck while hurling vulgarities at him.
The attacker managed to run away. The police are investigating.
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