SINGAPORE, July 26 — A Grab driver has been suspended in Singapore after charging a passenger an additional S$5 (RM16) for “VIP treatment” — simply because the passenger asked to turn on the air-conditioning during a ride.

The incident, reported by Stomp yesterday, took place on May 18 when a commuter, only known as Dominic, booked a Grab ride from Orchard to Bencoolen.

“During the journey, I asked the driver to turn on the air-conditioning,” Dominic told Stomp. 

“He did so without comment, only to message me after the trip via the Grab app, stating that he had added a S$5 charge for ‘VIP treatment’.”

According to Dominic, the surcharge was never discussed or agreed upon. 

“It was imposed entirely at the driver’s discretion, with no transparency or consent on my part,” he said. 

“It sets a worrying precedent if passengers can be subject to arbitrary fees after a trip has ended.”

He also shared a screenshot of his reply to the driver, which read: “You overcharged me S$5. I am reporting you to Grab.”

The driver then responded with a curt message: “Aircon number 3 u think u what VIP?”

In response to queries from Stomp, Grab said it had taken swift action.

“We are sorry about the unpleasant experience this passenger encountered,” said a Grab spokesman. 

“It is against our driver-partner code of conduct to impose additional charges unless there is a valid reason — such as extra stops beyond the initial booking or for additional child seats.”

“A request to adjust the air-conditioning should not have incurred a fee,” the spokesman added. 

“The driver-partner’s actions are not reflective of the standards we hold, nor of the vast majority of our driver-partners.”

Grab confirmed that the driver’s account has been temporarily suspended and a full refund has been issued to the passenger.