No amount of surcharge can solve taxi shortgage

[Hephaestus]

The Straits Times

www.straitstimes.com

Published on Jun 2, 2012

http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Breaking...ory_806201.html

 

More taxis soon with new data-sharing computer system?

Proposed system allows companies to pair up available cabs and drivers

 

By Janice Tai

 

More taxis may be on the road if a new data-sharing computer system among taxi companies is put in place.

 

The system is being discussed by a tripartite committee comprising the Land Transport Authority, the National Taxi Association (NTA) and taxi companies.

 

The committee was revealed by NTA adviser Seng Han Thong on the sidelines of a book launch on Friday at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The bilingual book, Taxi Tales In Singapore, is about the taxi industry here.

 

Mr Seng said the data-sharing system would allow taxi companies to link up their relief drivers with single-shift drivers, so that more taxis can be made available for riders.

Copyright

[Tigerwoods]

There are enough taxis. Not enough hardworking drivers only.

 

[Hephaestus]

It would have been more palatable if they tried using such a computer system before implementing the multitude of surcharges

[Tigerwoods]

It would have been more palatable if they tried using such a computer system before implementing the multitude of surcharges

this is another way to increase fares...

 

[Hephaestus]

this is another way to increase fares...

 

exactly.....

[Othello]

on the contrary, removing ALL the messy surcharges WILL resolve and balance the supply & demand.

 

Now cabbies pick and choose customer. Wanna flag down, good luck to you ! But I don't blame them, cos the taxi companies gave them a chance to earn more money, who can begrudge them for going fo higher fares to feed their family ? The fault lies with the PTC in de-regulating + the CCS for not investigating price fixing tactics of the operators. Reason, they don't care cos they don't take cabs !

[Freestylers09]

enough taxi meh?

 

i was waiting for 45mins at my hse here at 11am at weekdays..nbz all busy or change shift...finally change take bus.

 

wondering how come so hard to take cab at this timing..

[Hephaestus]

enough taxi meh?

 

i was waiting for 45mins at my hse here at 11am at weekdays..nbz all busy or change shift...finally change take bus.

 

wondering how come so hard to take cab at this timing..

 

no surcharge loh

[Hephaestus]

Taxis could become harder to flag down

 

More may obtain a taxi licence to rent cabs for personal use instead of plying the roads

04:46 AM Jun 02, 2012

by Sumita Sreedharan

 

 

SINGAPORE - At a time when sky-high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums are dissuading Singaporeans from owning car, they could, ironically, find it more difficult to get taxis.

 

Previously, tales of taxi drivers who worked only a few hours a day, earning just enough to cover rental and overheads, and use their vehicles mostly for personal needs, were not uncommon.

 

But these days, more people could possibly be getting taxi licences for the wrong reasons - as suggested by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in a press interview published yesterday.

 

Noting how, with the exception of those owned by ComfortDelGro, taxis are hired out mostly to cabbies who drive a single shift per day, Mr Lui said the authorities "need to be even more vigilant about this ... because now driving a taxi can, with high COE prices, become a substitute for owning a car".

 

Taxi rentals here range between S$64 and S$116. And unlike car owners, taxi drivers do not need to pay for servicing, insurance or road tax.

 

Cabbie Eugene Kwok, 45, said he would not be surprised if high COE prices prompted more people to hire a taxi instead of buying a car.

 

Another cabbie, Mr Ismail, 47, told TODAY he has heard of fellow taxi drivers who only drive "part time" to recover costs - high COEs or not.

 

As a result, commuters suffer: To maximise their earnings in the shortest period of time, these taxi drivers would only pick up passengers at places with surcharges such as the airport or the integrated resorts, or customers on short trips within the Central Business District during peak hours, Mr Ismail said.

 

He added: "It is the freedom of being able to plan our own schedules that appeals most to cabbies."

 

 

Availability of taxis to be improved

 

 

Following constant public feedback about the difficulties in getting a cab, a tripartite workgroup - comprising the Land Transport Authority, the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the taxi operators - has been formed to improve availability of taxis on the roads, NTA adviser Seng Han Thong told reporters yesterday.

 

It is looking into ways to incentivise more drivers to utilise their taxis fully, said Mr Seng, who was speaking at the sidelines of an event to launch a book about cabbies' experiences.

 

According to Mr Seng, about 40 per cent of the 27,000 taxis here are "one-man operations". Mr Seng would not be drawn on the possibility of the high COEs leading to more taxi drivers using their vehicles as personal transport. "As far as I know, they are earning a living," Mr Seng said.

 

Still, there is feedback from taxi drivers that it is difficult to find suitable relief drivers, in order to utilise the taxis for two shifts a day. To address this, a nationwide data sharing system will be set up to better match drivers, Mr Seng said. The workgroup is working on the technical details, said Mr Seng, who did not say when the system will be ready.

 

When contacted, ComfortDelGro spokesperson Tammy Tan said: "We do, of course, encourage our drivers to utilise the vehicle to its maximum potential".

 

She reiterated that it is the drivers' prerogative how to utilise their vehicles, "especially since they may well end up out of pocket if they choose not to ply the road for fares for a large part of the day". About 80 per cent of ComfortDelGro's 16,000-strong fleet of taxis operate on double shifts, Ms Tan said.

 

SMRT Taxis director Tony Heng said that his company - which owns about 3,200 taxis - consider its cabbies "to be self-employed". "Thus, it is in their best interest to put their taxis to optimum economic use," he said.

 

Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan - who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for transport - felt the issue is a grey area: If a taxi driver needs to, for example, drive his wife somewhere, it is "only logical" that he uses his vehicle to do so, he noted.

 

Mr Lim suggested that taxi operators track the usage of taxis based on the mileage or the fares collected. "The taxi companies could charge the drivers based on the desired mileage. If the taxi is used more, they could be charged a lower rental," said Mr Lim.

URL http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC1206...er-to-flag-down

 

Copyright 2012 MediaCorp Pte Ltd | All Rights Reserved

[Hephaestus]

Title : Flag-down fee for SMRT's CNG taxis up 20 cents

By :

Date : 01 June 2012 2109 hrs (SST)

URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1205019/1/.html

 

 

SINGAPORE: The flag-down fare for SMRT's CNG taxis will increase by 20 cents from 8 June.

 

At S$3.60, this will be the highest among non-limousine cabs.

 

SMRT said the revision is due to an increase in the government's excise duty on compressed natural gas (CNG) as of 1 January this year.

 

It added that CNG taxi drivers, even with an incentive package, have been straining to cope with the increased operating cost.

 

The increase will only be effected on CNG taxis and only on the flag-down fare.

 

- CNA/ck

[Old-driver]

There are enough taxis. Not enough hardworking drivers only.

How right you are... 11 am and you'll expect lots of taxis? No... all going for coffee or break. Thats what I found out the other day.

 

Another incident - was at River Valley going to the Ritz, flagged a cab and his answer was, traffic there very heavy, dont want to go in. I was like @#$#$#$%^^*&^*, u are a taxi-driver and thats what u are paid to do!! sorry if I offended anyone taxi ah-laos here.

 

So the story is... continue to drive cars and so the story goes... di da di

 

 

[Tigerwoods]

Taxis could become harder to flag down

 

More may obtain a taxi licence to rent cabs for personal use instead of plying the roads

04:46 AM Jun 02, 2012

by Sumita Sreedharan

 

 

SINGAPORE - At a time when sky-high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums are dissuading Singaporeans from owning car, they could, ironically, find it more difficult to get taxis.

 

Previously, tales of taxi drivers who worked only a few hours a day, earning just enough to cover rental and overheads, and use their vehicles mostly for personal needs, were not uncommon.

 

But these days, more people could possibly be getting taxi licences for the wrong reasons - as suggested by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in a press interview published yesterday.

 

Noting how, with the exception of those owned by ComfortDelGro, taxis are hired out mostly to cabbies who drive a single shift per day, Mr Lui said the authorities "need to be even more vigilant about this ... because now driving a taxi can, with high COE prices, become a substitute for owning a car".

 

Taxi rentals here range between S$64 and S$116. And unlike car owners, taxi drivers do not need to pay for servicing, insurance or road tax.

 

Cabbie Eugene Kwok, 45, said he would not be surprised if high COE prices prompted more people to hire a taxi instead of buying a car.

 

Another cabbie, Mr Ismail, 47, told TODAY he has heard of fellow taxi drivers who only drive "part time" to recover costs - high COEs or not.

 

As a result, commuters suffer: To maximise their earnings in the shortest period of time, these taxi drivers would only pick up passengers at places with surcharges such as the airport or the integrated resorts, or customers on short trips within the Central Business District during peak hours, Mr Ismail said.

 

He added: "It is the freedom of being able to plan our own schedules that appeals most to cabbies."

 

 

Availability of taxis to be improved

 

 

Following constant public feedback about the difficulties in getting a cab, a tripartite workgroup - comprising the Land Transport Authority, the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the taxi operators - has been formed to improve availability of taxis on the roads, NTA adviser Seng Han Thong told reporters yesterday.

 

It is looking into ways to incentivise more drivers to utilise their taxis fully, said Mr Seng, who was speaking at the sidelines of an event to launch a book about cabbies' experiences.

 

According to Mr Seng, about 40 per cent of the 27,000 taxis here are "one-man operations". Mr Seng would not be drawn on the possibility of the high COEs leading to more taxi drivers using their vehicles as personal transport. "As far as I know, they are earning a living," Mr Seng said.

 

Still, there is feedback from taxi drivers that it is difficult to find suitable relief drivers, in order to utilise the taxis for two shifts a day. To address this, a nationwide data sharing system will be set up to better match drivers, Mr Seng said. The workgroup is working on the technical details, said Mr Seng, who did not say when the system will be ready.

 

When contacted, ComfortDelGro spokesperson Tammy Tan said: "We do, of course, encourage our drivers to utilise the vehicle to its maximum potential".

 

She reiterated that it is the drivers' prerogative how to utilise their vehicles, "especially since they may well end up out of pocket if they choose not to ply the road for fares for a large part of the day". About 80 per cent of ComfortDelGro's 16,000-strong fleet of taxis operate on double shifts, Ms Tan said.

 

SMRT Taxis director Tony Heng said that his company - which owns about 3,200 taxis - consider its cabbies "to be self-employed". "Thus, it is in their best interest to put their taxis to optimum economic use," he said.

 

Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan - who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for transport - felt the issue is a grey area: If a taxi driver needs to, for example, drive his wife somewhere, it is "only logical" that he uses his vehicle to do so, he noted.

 

Mr Lim suggested that taxi operators track the usage of taxis based on the mileage or the fares collected. "The taxi companies could charge the drivers based on the desired mileage. If the taxi is used more, they could be charged a lower rental," said Mr Lim.

URL http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC1206...er-to-flag-down

 

Copyright 2012 MediaCorp Pte Ltd | All Rights Reserved

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Enough taxis, Not enough hardworking drivers...

[Tigerwoods]

Title : Flag-down fee for SMRT's CNG taxis up 20 cents

By :

Date : 01 June 2012 2109 hrs (SST)

URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1205019/1/.html

 

 

SINGAPORE: The flag-down fare for SMRT's CNG taxis will increase by 20 cents from 8 June.

 

At S$3.60, this will be the highest among non-limousine cabs.

 

SMRT said the revision is due to an increase in the government's excise duty on compressed natural gas (CNG) as of 1 January this year.

 

It added that CNG taxi drivers, even with an incentive package, have been straining to cope with the increased operating cost.

 

The increase will only be effected on CNG taxis and only on the flag-down fare.

 

- CNA/ck

Notice each time garment

Edited June 2, 2012 by Tigerwoods

[Freestylers09]

quite true..coz after 6pm,that road alot empty taxi one..lol

 

this 45mins waiting,mostly busy average 10+,3-4 change shift...rest 4-5 of them dont know just drive past me ..

 

 

[Hephaestus]

New system to improve availability of taxis on the way

http://motoring.asiaone.com/print/Motoring...601-350061.html

 

A nationwide data-sharing system aimed at fully utilising Singapore's taxi fleet by matching relief drivers is in the works.

 

Fri, Jun 01, 2012

AsiaOne

 

SINGAPORE - A nationwide data-sharing system aimed at improving the availability of taxis is in the works.

 

The National Taxi Association (NTA) said that the system, which will include all taxi companies, will ensure Singapore's taxi fleet is used to its full capacity.

 

According to a local broadcaster, only 60 per cent of Singapore's entire taxi fleet of 27,000 taxis are fully utilised with drivers working two shifts.

 

The rest of the taxis are used by only one driver each, also known as one man operations (OMO). Taxis being used by only one driver are left idle at some instances during the day. This includes the time the driver is off duty.

 

In an attempt to address this, the system will aim to match drivers better by pairing them up based on factors like location and preference of work shifts.

 

Advisor of the National Taxi Association Seng Han Thong noted that getting more taxi drivers to maximise the use of taxis will be a challenge which he aims to overcome with providing more incentives.

 

The move comes in the light of the passenger feedback about the difficulties of getting a cab.

 

[email protected]

[SimonTan]

Hardworking workers indeed not many left in this wonderful magical country?!

Blame it on the too successful assets appreciations.

Now 1 in 6 household is a millionaire.

How about the other 5 in 6? Perhaps half millionaire? Still very good right?

 

Seem alike the urge to work hard is not so important anymore since everyone is almost rich.

 

Those few who worked hard will be the truely poor and dedicated citizens.

 

[Silver_blade]

There are enough taxis. Not enough hardworking drivers only.

Agree... I believe there are enough taxi...but some decide wait at some back lanes or coffeeshop waiting for bookings during peak hours or rainy days.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Silver_blade

[Mllcg]

remove surcharges and there wont be a "cat and mouse" game