SG Complains

Taxi Surcharges Should be Removed.

I just enjoyed reading news such as Tax reliefs? But cabbies still choosy and Rude cabbies: Son of a taxi driver speaks up.

I have summarize their views in point form.

1. CBD surcharges created scenarios of choosy taxi drivers at fringe of CBD

2. Taxi never stops due to the following reasons

• Spotting passengers due to their dark clothing, or standing away from street lights;
• Determining who is waiting for a taxi and who is just about to cross the road; and
• Stopping, due to traffic conditions.

Personally, I had encountered many taxi drivers avoiding taxi queues when it’s near mid-night and some even have “busy” signs parked right in front of the taxi queues until someone call and book the cab.

I empathize with both sides of the coin and I do hope there is a win win solutions to this worsening problems.

Let me suggest something wild…

Let’s remove ALL SURCHARGES…

1. So that taxi goes to wherever there are demand for taxi
2. So that taxi don’t avoid “cheap” locations like CBD Fringe and taxi queue before midnight
3. So that booking a cab is free means taxi drivers don’t hide somewhere waiting for booking
4. So that taxi fares only run on meters and no hidden “surcharges” hence no more bad reputation to the tourist who don’t know the surcharges.

However, more can be done to help the taxi drivers to survive.

1. Remove ERP charges to all public transport including taxi
2. Taxi Rental rebates by government
3. Increase flag down rates by 10%.
4. Improve FREE Booking System with SMS to book taxi with real time booking location beam to nearest taxi.
5. Real time traffic data of roads near to the taxi to be beam to the drivers so that can make informed choices.
6. Taxi queues to have one button press for auto taxi booking (for free).
7. There are more rebates can be given to taxi drivers like parking and some NTUC vouchers for those in need.

I had encountered a taxi driver today that ask me if he can drive the longer route but drive faster….and he admit he “won’t” earn too much from me.

Some taxi drivers sometimes drive wrong directions even given road names and printed maps…many resorted to tricks to earn more like driving slower from off peak to peak hours to earn more surcharges.

If taxi drivers are trying to act like conman on the street, their reputation will be tarnished beyond repair and tainted those really good taxi drivers that I had met.

I do hope the Government can do something such as unifying the taxi companies into one unit and enforce good policies for better reputations for the taxi drivers.

Now the times are hard and there will be really less people to actually use taxi regularly hence we must understand that taxi will be trying their ways to earn more regardless of reputation…unless there is a clear complain channel to the taxi companies that record everything happening in the taxi including their traveled routes, voices & video on board the taxi.

Of course there are times taxi drivers should consider other jobs to jump into like tour guide taxi that gives personal tour to Singapore in limousine taxi or other unrelated jobs.