Cabbies here can learn from South Koreans

[Latka]

ST Forum

Jun 20, 2011

Cabbies here can learn from South Koreans

WHEN I was in Seoul, South Korea, recently for a holiday, I took a taxi from the hotel I stayed in to the Namdaemun area.

 

Once I gave the cabby the address I wanted to go to, which my tour guide had written in Korean, he keyed the details into the cab's Global Positioning System (GPS) and followed the directions given after pressing the meter.

 

When I wanted to head back from Namdaemun, I showed the hotel name card to the taxi driver. Without delay, he keyed the details into the GPS and followed the route given.

 

I think cabbies in Singapore should learn from the South Korean taxi drivers. In the event of any uncertainty on any routes in Singapore, if a passenger notes that the taxi driver followed the GPS, arguments could be avoided.

 

I think the authorities should look into this as a way to make things easier for tourists in Singapore.

 

Tan Shao Ken

 

 

[Latka]

This kotek obviously doesn't know his/her local route well. Typical passenger who 'feels' local cabby taking longer route if trip is too long.

GPS just directs u to yr destination, and via the shortest route all the time.

[Jman888]

Shua ku.... Sometime I take taxi and some newbie driver also key the address in GPS, even for a 5 min distant!

[Latka]

Shua ku.... Sometime I take taxi and some newbie driver also key the address in GPS, even for a 5 min distant!

 

cnfm green horn cabby.

[Latka]

This kotek obviously doesn't know his/her local route well. Typical passenger who 'feels' local cabby taking longer route if trip is too long.

GPS just directs u to yr destination, and not via the shortest route all the time.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Latka

[Mazda-6]

I certainly beg to differ, I was in SK once, had to get to Gimpo from Incheon, did not know there was a free bus transfer, got ripped off to the tune of 150USD/= . Nice ha!!! Cabbies , the world over 80% screwed , 10% Halfway there, 10% getting screwed.........

[Sosaria]

The GPS "shortest route" option is no good for city/urban usage. There are overlapping roads, tunnels, freeways, flyovers, etc. so in order to get the "shortest" distance, the GPS will direct you to do silly things like entering the expressway, then exiting again just 1 exit later, turning through congested 1-way streets, etc. End up paying more, I think, if a cab were to follow these directions.

[Ilmw]

Similarly in Sydney and Melbourne, cabbies have a 7" GPS LCD screen with 3D graphics.

 

In SG context, SG is too small to really need to use GPS.

But of cos, need is one thing, we can still use it to be professional in our jobs.

 

Which brings us to the next topic: are we developed country?

Or are taxi & taxi drivers just a simple time translate from trishaw & trishaw uncles from years past?

 

 

[Relacklabrudder]

 

 

if go by shortest route then kena ERP, passenger wil kpkb. lidat also difficult

[Latka]

if go by shortest route then kena ERP, passenger wil kpkb. lidat also difficult

 

The best is passenger tell cabby which route to take. If dunno just say dunno and leave it to cabby.

[Blogtowkay]

hmm, i like cab drivers who bother to ask me the preferred route. some of them even analyse the merits of the different choices!

[Mike1234]

Actually i got saw some of the taxi drivers got GPS in their taxi...

 

[Mllcg]

i thought our GPS in taxis static one?