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http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/grab-uber-deal-sparks-fears-of-price-hike Grab-Uber deal sparks fears of price hike Consumers and industry watchers are raising concerns that Grab's acquisition of Uber's South-east Asian business will lead to higher fares.PHOTO: ST FILE PublishedMar 26, 2018, 10:38 pm SGT Christopher Tan Senior Transport Correspondent [email protected] Zhaki Abdullah [email protected] SINGAPORE - Consumers and industry watchers are raising concerns that ride-hailing firm Grab's acquisition of rival Uber's South-east Asian business will reduce competition and lead to higher fares. Ms Zhang Bin Bin, who takes both Grab and Uber rides, is unsure how fares will change now that "competition is minimised". "If prices increase or if they match regular taxi prices, I will probably go back to public transport," said the film-maker, 23. Freelance photographer Robin Choo, 27, had the same concerns. "If prices for rides booked through Grab were to rise, I think I will have reconsider my travel options," he said. Drivers interviewed raised concerns about their incentives and commission rates. Private-hire drivers pay about 20 per cent of each fare to their operators. Mr Ken Tan, 45, is concerned about how the move might affect his earnings. While he has driven for both Uber and Grab, he said he was able to earn more driving for Uber due to the better driver incentives. Drivers now no longer have the option of choosing another operator if they are dissatisfied with their current firm, he said. Mr Thanaraj Suppiah, 36, who has been driving full-time for Uber since last June, said: "I will have to see how well Grab takes care of drivers." Mr Ang Hin Kee, executive adviser to the National Taxi Association as well as the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, said consumers and drivers need more choices, not fewer. Nonetheless, if the merger is approved here, he hopes that end users will be better off. "With potentially lower cost of operations via lower staff overheads and less spending on advertisement, the new entity can focus on delivering better terms for drivers and commuters," he said. "But if it infringes on commuter and driver interests, I hope the regulators can steer it back on track." Singapore University of Social Sciences senior lecturer and transport economist Walter Theseira said regulators can do one of two things to ensure that the market remains equitable for all parties. One is to have a dominant player which is well regulated. The other is to have multiple players and let natural competition keep them in check. "My personal view is that there has to be first of all, evidence that market size leads to efficiency," he said. "Secondly, there must be an appropriate lever to ensure that an enlarged player does not abuse its power." Meanwhile, consumers do not seem too worried that Grab - with its ambitions of becoming a major player in the food, payment and loan sectors - would have access to information on how they travel, eat and spend. "With the Government's cashless drive, consumers like myself will have to face the fact that my data is being collected," Mr Choo said. "My concern lies with how secure my data is." Said Ms Zhang: "I am quite indifferent to that... since many apps or even devices are already collecting such data." Grab Singapore head Lim Kell Jay said: "We have always cared about our customers' well-being and as a start, we will immediately extend our free personal accident insurance policy to all new interested Uber drivers and riders who choose to be part of our platform. "We expect our combined operations to create a better experience for our community of drivers and passengers... we expect to see shorter wait times and faster pick-ups. This would mean better productivity for our drivers, and better reliability for our passengers."

Was surfing youtube and I came across this MV of their concert in Antwerp, Belgium abut 5 years ago... WoW!!!

I make sure the dentist is a syt..... and she always forget her first button

got lyrics to sing along... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItoRxdgF38Q (Shout) (Everybody wants to rule the world) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajy1xNB-LkI (Sowing the seeds of love) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13B17S7qirY (Advice for the young at heart) (Mad world) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fz5KO4j1Dk (Woman in chains)

In one fell swoop, Dr Helmut Marko has dismissed the title threat posed by figures including reigning champion Jenson Button, the 2008 runner-up Felipe Massa, Mercedes' works team, and seven time world champion Michael Schumacher. Red Bull's motor racing adviser told APA news agency that the energy drink owned team only fears the challenges of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. "There are two people that we fear for this world title," said Marko. "They are Fernando Alonso, because he is at his absolute peak, and Lewis Hamilton. "What the others are doing bothers us not so much," revealed the Austrian. Red Bull's RB6 car has been clearly the fastest among F1's class of 2010, so Marko thinks the Milton Keynes based team is rightly the championship favourite. "With the package that we have, we clearly have to be going for the championship -- and in the coming years. "We have the people we need and the necessary tools to adapt to changes. We have had a winning car also in 2008 and 2009, so you can't say that it's a fluke when you're building a top car in three consecutive years," he added. Source: GMM

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...parked_car.html i think that guy really wrong place wrong time

USD has also strengthened to US$1 = S$1.433 Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../373415/1/.html

Priced at about US$2,500 (S$3,400), the Nano will cost about half the price of the cheapest car on the market, affordable for many in India - and elsewhere. But some environmentalists are dreading the prospect of hundreds of thousands of cheap cars hitting congested roads around the world in the next few years. 'In the current policy and regulatory framework, the low-cost cars will be disastrous,' said Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi. Carmakers, warily eyeing sliding sales in developed markets such as the United States and Europe, disagree. They argue that small, fuel-efficient vehicles are a greener option than gas-guzzling SUVs and larger cars as the price of oil soars above US$130 a barrel and as more and more consumers in emerging economies such as China, India and Russia get behind the steering wheel. Tata Motors, which unveiled the snub-nosed Nano in January, says the world's cheapest car meets the strictest environmental criteria, and its lean design delivers high fuel-efficiency of about 20km per litre of petrol. 'The concern is really about the sheer numbers,' said Mr Mohit Arora, managing director for India at JD Power Asia Pacific. 'They may be more fuel-efficient than bigger cars, but they will still emit carbon and NOx (nitrogen oxide)...and that's a valid concern.' With the explosive growth in demand for cars, carmakers will have to return to the drawing board. 'Over the next five to 10 years, technology, moral pressure, regulatory pressure and high oil prices will push even premium carmakers into making changes to their engines,' said Mr Steve Howard, chief executive of The Climate Group in Britain. Rival carmakers, including Fiat, General Motors, Ford Motor, Hyundai and Toyota, are all interested in building a small car that is affordable to more middle-class consumers in emerging markets. 'Growth is in the emerging markets, and the bulk of demand there is for small cars because people are much more sensitive to fuel prices,' said Mr Arora. Still, Mr Howard cautioned against demonising low-cost cars or belittling their importance in emerging economies such as India, despite concerns about their impact. 'It's easy to look at cheap mass-produced cars and say, 'Oh, they're going to cause more pollution'. But it's an elitist view that only a small percentage of the population should own cars.' If Sg Imported tis Car [sweatdrop]

Again, Singaporean only know how to kpkb when price increase but in the end they will just get used to it over time. Nothing change and hence these people can anyhow increase their price as and when they like and we still buy . I am not refering to taxi alone, many thing in our daily life increase but we will not make alternative plan even when it is increase. April 25, 2008 FOUR MONTHS AFTER FARE HIKE Cabbies' earnings up despite initial fears Ridership also up as commuters return to taking taxis By Maria Almenoar THE chorus of complaints that came from the taxi industry after fares were raised in December last year seems to have died down. Although some customers initially stayed away from taxis, there has been a turnaround, and with it fears that the earnings of cabbies would drop seem to have eased, according to surveys done by the country's two biggest taxi companies. ComfortDelgro, the largest taxi operator here with about 15,000 of the country's 24,000 taxis, saw a 16 per cent increase in takings for a cabby's full day of work. For a full-day shift, cabbies are earning $187.92, up from $162 before the fare revision, after deducting the cost of fuel and renting the cab. SMRT, which has about 3,000 cabs on the road, said cabbies saw a 20 per cent increase in gross income in the first quarter of this year, compared with the last quarter of last year. The data came from a survey of about 300 taxi drivers. In a bid to alleviate a taxi shortage and raise the drivers' earnings, the six taxi companies increased their starting metered fare from $2.50 to $2.80 in December. The meter was also adjusted to tick faster, with 20 cents charged for every 385m up to 10km travelled, instead of 10 cents for every 210m. However, commuters were most peeved by a revised peak-hour surcharge which was tweaked from a flat $2 to 35 per cent of the metered fare. The surcharge for picking up passengers in the city centre also went up from $1 to $3. After first avoiding taxis in favour of public transport, more commuters seem to be going back to them. The average daily ridership for taxis for January was 855,000 while February's went up to 934,000. Last year, the average daily ridership was 945,000. Said 55-year-old cabby Haniff Mahbob, who has been on the job for 20 years: 'After fares went up, we had few customers. But luckily the new fares offset our lost business. Now, business is definitely picking up. I'm sure more drivers have bigger smiles on their faces.' Call bookings are also on the rise this year, according to ComfortDelgro. The company will also soon offer a service which allows passengers to book a cab by sending an SMS message with their postal code and pick-up location. The Taxi Operators' Associations, which represents drivers' associations of five of the six taxi companies, said: 'The situation seems to have stabilised and improved, but we are still quite concerned that rising fuel cost may eat into our drivers' income.' Oil prices hit a record US$117.50 (S$160) a barrel this week. On average, taxi drivers on a full-day shift spend close to $40 on diesel and about $90 on cab rental.

PRIME MINISTER Lee Hsien Loong assured Singaporeans yesterday that their concerns about the rising cost of living, including food prices, have been heard - and are being addressed. But Singaporeans themselves will, at the same time, have to make adjustments, he said. One suggestion: Go for cheaper house brands. 'We can overcome this problem by working together. People making adjustments, the Government doing its part. We must stay together even during difficult periods,' said Mr Lee. Speaking to 1,400 residents and grassroots leaders at a Chinese New Year dinner at his Teck Ghee constituency, he, however, rejected calls for the Government to control the prices of essential goods. 'Residents asked, 'Why can't the Government just control the prices?'' he recounted. His response: Singapore is an open economy and imports all its food. 'We can't just order wholesalers and retailers to fix or reduce prices. They have to pay the overseas suppliers - who will bear the loss?' If the Government subsidises essentials, it will be 'very expensive, and also ineffective'. As higher-income households spend more, such subsidies will benefit them more than the poor. It is better to use the money instead to help the needy more directly, he said. Thus, there are measures such as the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme as well as the Public Assistance Scheme, which is being reviewed. At the same time, the Government is diversifying food sources, such as by importing frozen chicken from Brazil. Consumers can also go for supermarket house brands, which are cheaper. 'No need to buy branded bread,' he said in Mandarin to laughter. 'Bread is bread, rice is rice.' Most important of all is to grow the economy so wages will go up, he stressed. Noting that 2007 was a good year, with workers receiving significant pay rises and bonuses, he quipped that government revenues 'have not been too bad either'. Thus, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will distribute 'a little hongbao' in the Feb 15 Budget, especially for the needy. 'But we must be realistic,' he said. 'I read the wish list for the Budget in the newspapers, all hoping that the Government will give out exciting goodies. 'The Government will definitely help. But we cannot just distribute money and make the problem go away. 'Even with a good harvest, or during Chinese New Year, the Minister for Finance is not the cai shen ye!' he said, referring to the God of Fortune in Chinese mythology. Inflation here hit a 25-year high in December, when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped 4.4 per cent from a year ago. In particular, food prices were 5.5 per cent higher. In a sign that the cost issue is high on the Government's agenda, four Cabinet and junior ministers - besides Mr Lee - spoke separately on it at the weekend, assuring that the Government will help. The subject took up the bulk of Mr Lee's 20-minute speech, delivered both in English and Mandarin. He started by noting that the Year of the Rat is beginning under 'more challenging circumstances' compared to previous years. The financial markets are in turbulence, and the United States economy is slowing. And the clouds will not be going away soon. In fact, Mr Lee warned that 'we must expect more uncertainties ahead'. He expects the CPI to be high this year, especially in the first half: 'Last year, it was about 2 per cent. This year, it may be 5 per cent, it may even be more.' Already, prices of Chinese New Year goodies such as pineapple tarts and bak kwa have increased, he noted. But putting the grim outlook in perspective, he said that higher food prices is a global problem. Similarly afflicted are Malaysia, Indonesia and even Latin America. On the whole, though, Singapore is in strong shape: 'We expect the economy to keep growing, though slower than last year. Whatever it is, I am confident that we can weather the storm.' Calling on Singaporeans to stay with the Government and to keep Singapore competitive and growing, Mr Lee concluded: 'Then, whether it is the Year of the Rat or the Ox or Tiger, we will have the resources to deal with the challenges that come our way.'

Friday October 19, 12:40 PM Oil prices pass record 90 dlrs amid supply, geopolitical fears New York crude oil prices surpassed a record 90 dollars a barrel in after-hours trading Thursday as Iraq urged Turkey not to take military action against Kurdish rebels located in northern Iraq. Traders said oil prices were also stoked higher by a weakening US dollar and global supply jitters. "The issue seems no longer to be whether oil will reach 100 dollars per barrel, but when," said Barclays Capital analyst Kevin Norrish. The price gains in after-hours trading came after New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, had jumped 2.07 dollars to a record close of 89.47 dollars a barrel. In electronic trade after the market close, the benchmark contract spiked to an all-time high of 90.02 dollars. London prices also pushed higher in after-hours trading, as Brent North Sea crude for December delivery soared to 84.88 dollars after the contract had earlier settled 1.47 dollars higher at 84.60 dollars. Oil prices have gained this week amid geopolitical angst, related to fears over a potential conflict affecting Turkey's boder with Iraq, and a weakening dollar. The dollar's decline has made dollar-priced commodities, such as oil, cheaper for buyers holding stronger currencies. Traders said speculators have also jumped into the market, adding to the price frenzy. The euro earlier hit a record high of 1.4310 dollars Thursday. Turkey said Thursday it would pursue diplomacy to defuse a crisis over Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq as Baghdad made fresh appeals to dissuade its neighbor from possible military action. The Turkish parliament Wednesday approved a motion authorizing military strikes for a one-year period against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is accused of using bases in northern Iraq for attacks on targets across the border in Turkey. Many of Iraq's major oil fields are located in the north of the country. "Once the furor has settled down, the oil market as a whole can get on the job of working out whether supply and demand dynamics mean that long-term prices should have two or three digits." But, Alaron Trading analyst Phil Flynn predicted prices could go even higher. "The next target should be roughly four dollars above that level, somewhere around 93 dollars a barrel," he said. "It

http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/06/08/toyota...reut/index.html If GM or Ford fails or are teethering, the US will institute protectionist policies. There is even talk of Toyota intentionally raising their prices to help GM! One reason for GM's demise is this: Some people got to realize that some unions can cause damage. 25,000 employee discounts! For GM's case, the retirees of GM get medical benefits.