Cab stands on the fringes of downtown will be affected by fare hike: experts
Maria Almenoar & Jessica Jaganathan
Tue, Dec 11, 2007
The Straits Times
IF YOU need to hail a cab on the fringes of downtown, be prepared to wait, a transport expert warned on Tuesday.
In the wake of new rules that give some cabbies a bonus for picking up passengers in the heart of the city, many are likely to skip the outskirts and make a bee-line for places like Orchard Road.
Among the areas likely to be affected are taxi stands in high traffic areas such as Far East Plaza, Shaw House, Tanglin Mall along Orchard Road and the Concourse along Beach Road.
National University of Singapore transport researcher and postgraduate student Han Songguang called the new surcharges 'very bad news' for people working or living in these areas just outside downtown.
'I am not sure how taxi companies or LTA will be able to enforce or discourage errant cabbies,' he said on Monday.
The same day, ComfortDelgro announced it would levy a $3 surcharge on passengers who hop into a cab in the downtown during peak hours - up from $1.
Its fare revision includes higher flag down rates and metered rates but lower call booking charges during the prime hours.
Member of Parliament Ong Kian Min, who is deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee, said he was concerned with the downtown surcharges.
Without a gradual scale, drivers will likely head to the city proper, he said.
'It's a choice between $3 or nothing for drivers, so this will definitely influence their driving behaviour. We may head to more problems and complaints, in the end, if taxi drivers do avoid taxi stands along the fringe.'
Comfort said the new city surcharge was designed to encourage taxis to pick up passengers in the city centre. Cabbies leave downtown for the suburbs and find little incentive to drive all the way back to pick up new passengers, it said.
While the surcharge may address the problem of too few cabs in the city during peak hours, Comfort acknowledged it may create a shortfall in the outskirts of downtown.
Comfort said it would 'keep a close eye' on cabbies to make sure they don't zip by taxi stands there. But when asked specifically how it would monitor its drivers, the company declined to comment.
... as usual... the despots only think of themselves when they "solve" problems...
... the number one concern in a despot's mind... "How much more public money can I take for my salary on top of the millions that I am taking..."
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