The Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) sent a lawyer’s letter to a taxi driver for being in arrears of town council charges from June 2016 to October 2016. Mr Ghazali Sadip, the cabbie, said that he was promised a meeting with the town council but was sent a letter of demand instead.
The cabbie said that he was unable to drive a taxi after fracturing his wrist after a fall and that he only started driving again after his doctor certified him fit to do so recently.
Ghazali said that he was waiting for the meeting with the manager of the town council when the letter arrived unexpectedly. He claimed that he made several phone calls and left a few messages, but there was no response from the town council officers.
The Tanjong Pagar Town Council engaged a law firm to serve the notice of arrears to Mr Ghazali via registered post. The notice demanded that the cabbie pay up the outstanding $174.45 within fourteen days of the serving of the Notice, or face conviction under the Town Councils Act and be liable to a maximum fine of $1,000.
“It seems TPTC has chosen to take the high-handed way rather than listening and helping the plight of it’s residents especially those facing tough times,” lamented the cabbie.