A man who wanted to return to the mainland from Pulau Ubin refused to pay when the boat fare was raised from $4 to $5. In the end, he was stuck on the island for an hour and had to fork out $48 to charter a boat.
Mr Xie, 52, told Shin Min Daily News that he and his wife visited Pulau Ubin on 22 August around 3 pm. At about 6 pm, they were ready to head back to Changi Point Ferry Terminal.
“After half an hour of waiting, there were 10 passengers in total. The fare was supposed to be $4, but the boatman asked the last four passengers to pay $5 each. Later, he said all 10 must pay $5,” Mr Xie explained.
Feeling it was unreasonable, he and his wife refused. The boatman then asked the remaining eight passengers to pay $6 each. “A boat can carry 12 people. If each pays $4, it is $48. We did not agree to pay extra, so he raised it to $6,” he said.
Mr Xie added that when they took the boat from Changi Point to Ubin earlier, there were fewer than 12 passengers, yet they only paid $4. That was why he could not accept the additional charges. He believed the boatman was taking advantage of passengers wanting to leave quickly.
He and his wife decided to wait for the next boat. But after an hour, no one else came. “Some islanders said the island security officers would leave at 7 pm, and we could ride with them. The security officer also agreed to help,” he recalled.
But the boat that came for the security officer was operated by the same boatman.
“He only allowed the officer on board. We had no choice but to call NParks, who told us to contact another operator. Eventually, we found another boatman and had to pay $48 to charter the boat.”
Boatman says not extortion, each trip must collect $48
Reporters later spoke to the boatman, Mr Jie Guoyuan (transliteration), at Changi Point Ferry Terminal. He denied overcharging and said each trip must collect $48.
“That evening, there were only 10 passengers. To make up $48, I asked each to add $1. The couple refused and wanted to wait. I explained it was late and unlikely more passengers would come, but they didn’t listen,” he said.
When only eight passengers remained, he asked for $6 each. Later, when he went back to Ubin to pick up the security officer, the couple tried to board. “But the officer had already chartered the boat, so I refused. Usually, I make sure the price is agreed upon before departure. I don’t extort passengers,” he said.
Website states $4 per ticket, boat departs with 12 passengers
According to the NParks website, the ticket price is $4 per passenger, with an additional $2 for bicycles. The website also states that there are no scheduled departure times to and from, as bumboats set off only when there are 12 passengers. Passengers are also advised to confirm the fare with the bumboat operator.
Passenger says charges are not transparent, no fixed schedule
Mr Xie felt the service should run on a fixed schedule, not depend on the number of passengers. He also said fares should be clearly displayed.
“They only accept cash and not even PayNow, which makes it very inconvenient,” he added.
The experience left him feeling “trapped,” like he could not go home without paying. “I don’t want to go to Pulau Ubin again. This also leaves a bad impression for foreign visitors,” he said.
Mr Xie and his wife finally returned to Changi Point around 8 pm. He later shared the incident with The Straits Times.
