Any Complain about Singapore taxis? Part II
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Originally posted by Prophecy_Master:
ohh SMRT the person got back to me and ask for more information. so 2 things are confirmed so far.1 . he did swear at me
2. he short changed me and refused to give the correct change.
3. his hostile attitude and loud talking (pending investigation)
i told that SMRT person, i understand that taxi driver is a tough job, i am fine if the driver has a black face , but still get me to the location without talking. i know he might had a bad day.
but wad i cannot stand is swearing at me, refused to give me the correct change.
so did they tell you that they will investigate the matter..
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Originally posted by QX179R:
so did they tell you that they will investigate the matter..
yea they are still investigating the matter. they say they will get back to me. -
Originally posted by Prophecy_Master:
yea they are still investigating the matter. they say they will get back to me.all right, do post here again regarding their findings..
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Originally posted by yamizi:
Anyway, I am not hopeful that they will do any justice in this case. Maybe must wait till fake taxi drive run into some big time driver, then the authorities will intervene.
comfort called me last week informing me that they had interviewed the driver concerned and gave him a warning with the lodge complaint filed into his driver service record
-case closed-
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Well...it all depends on what taxi-driver you kena....
But anyway, even if the taxi-driver is nasty to me...at most I will just ask him to alight immediately.
I feel there's no point going thru endless complaints just because of a less than 60 mins ride.... I am definitely not going to let that spoil my day....
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Two complaints:
1. Many cab drivers do not know Singapore roads well although they are supposed to be Singaporeans. London cab drivers have to pass a tough examination (The Knowledge) before they get their taxi license. Cabbies must prove that they know the fastest route between two points.
Singapore taxi drivers must be put through a similar exam. Just because you are born in Singapore does not mean you know Singapore roads and just because a foreigner is born in Mumbai does not mean he cannot perform better. It is time to open up the taxi driver market to foreigners.
2. Many cab drivers are reluctant to accept NETS or credit cards even though their cabs are equipped with the validators. Such cabbies should be taken out of circulation.
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yo oxford, if singaporean cabbies do not know all the singapore roads damn well, how are the foreigners going to know that? Just use GPS? can GPS tell you which road will jam at certain timing at certain day? can GPS tell you the ERP rates on the spot by shortest route? if tourist ask you where got good food or good sight seeing, trust the foreigner to recommend with good knowledge and good intention to sell Singapore? if your gf, sister, daughter go home late at nite, u let her take cab alone home? so.... if singapore cabbies do not know, the solution is simply to make sure they are taught well... not everything is solved by FT lah... Nets payment? yes i observed few cabbies just dont like it... cos they live from hand to mouth... they need the daily collection to pay rental... varies from cabbies... for me, i accept payments unless system always faulty...
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yo oxford..have to see things in context
1. the number of roads in singapore are too numerous. though cabbies should know all major roads and CBD. no excuses, but it takes time. London cab drivers study 3 frigging years to get their licence. But their knowledge is only London area wor. Ask him Manchester or Liverpool .. die cock stand. Do note also their earnings are at least triple or quadruple that of SG cabbies. Singapore cabbies have Jurong town, Senkang, Hougang, u name it. Fastest route between 2 points are so totally different in SG. Most of the time fastest route means taking highway, ex. non-peak period PIE faster than taking Bukit Timah/Dunearn Roads but longer. So it all depends on the customer : fastest or cheapest. Most Singaporeans mean cheapest when they say fastest route. Road naming conventions in SG don't provide any clue to road location (except for HDB towns, but Sengkang & Punggol also haywire already)
FT...ALN said it all oredy. Onan Road or Outram Road...FT will send u to Outram lor. Race Course Road or West Coast Road...FT will send you to West Coast Road.
2. Nets or Credit Card
Most cabbies are not well off, living hand-to-mouth daily, hand stop mouth stop. but the taxi rental has to be paid daily without fail. It is not uncommon to have more than $50 in cashless transactions in a single shift. (I kenna $60+ before). How to pay the $100+ rental in this situation? Cos cashless transactions takes up to 3 working days before the amount is credited into our bank accounts (credit card longest, nets better,cab charge fastest, but longer if falls on friday or weekend). In the meantime, I have to continue paying the rent...with what?
Personally, I think Nets & Credit Card is the killer app for Comfort/Citycab. There were many times when my cab was hired first despite not being first-in-line in the taxi queue. Why..cos the brothers & sisters in front of me all non-Comfort/Citycab..no nets. It is the main reason you see so many Comfort/Citycab taxis on the road despite the fact that we are paying the highest rental. That and the booking system. Anyway passengers can see from the taxi's MDT screen whether the system is up or down. Ask the driver next time you take a cab.
Hopefully this gives you a little insight into the problems cabbies faced concerning your 2 complaints.
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Originally posted by ALN:
yo oxford,
if singaporean cabbies do not know all the singapore roads damn well, how are the foreigners going to know that?
Just use GPS? can GPS tell you which road will jam at certain timing at certain day? can GPS tell you the ERP rates on the spot by shortest route?
if tourist ask you where got good food or good sight seeing, trust the foreigner to recommend with good knowledge and good intention to sell Singapore?
if your gf, sister, daughter go home late at nite, u let her take cab alone home?
so…. if singapore cabbies do not know, the solution is simply to make sure they are taught well… not everything is solved by FT lah…
Nets payment? yes i observed few cabbies just dont like it… cos they live from hand to mouth… they need the daily collection to pay rental… varies from cabbies… for me, i accept payments unless system always faulty…
Real-time GPS can even direct the best route to take to avoid jams. The technology is available...it's standard feature in every cab in Denmark. After a period of training a foreign driver will also know which road is likely to jam at certain times, and a newbie local driver will be no better than a new foreign driver. The key is the right training.
Taxi drivers should focus on their core business. Passengers are not going to pay you for recommendations on food. What passengers want is a cheap and efficient service.
For obvious reasons, Singaporeans are responsible for all crimes committed by taxi drivers in Singapore. There is no reason to suspect that a foreign taxi driver is going to be less trustworthy than Singaporeans. It's just racist talk.
Taxi drivers have to ensure that their NETS validator is working, just as a bus driver cannot drive off without checking that the validators on his bus are functioning.
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Originally posted by KCTK:
yo oxford..have to see things in context
1. the number of roads in singapore are too numerous. though cabbies should know all major roads and CBD. no excuses, but it takes time. London cab drivers study 3 frigging years to get their licence. But their knowledge is only London area wor. Ask him Manchester or Liverpool .. die cock stand. Do note also their earnings are at least triple or quadruple that of SG cabbies. Singapore cabbies have Jurong town, Senkang, Hougang, u name it. Fastest route between 2 points are so totally different in SG. Most of the time fastest route means taking highway, ex. non-peak period PIE faster than taking Bukit Timah/Dunearn Roads but longer. So it all depends on the customer : fastest or cheapest. Most Singaporeans mean cheapest when they say fastest route. Road naming conventions in SG don't provide any clue to road location (except for HDB towns, but Sengkang & Punggol also haywire already)
FT...ALN said it all oredy. Onan Road or Outram Road...FT will send u to Outram lor. Race Course Road or West Coast Road...FT will send you to West Coast Road.
2. Nets or Credit Card
Most cabbies are not well off, living hand-to-mouth daily, hand stop mouth stop. but the taxi rental has to be paid daily without fail. It is not uncommon to have more than $50 in cashless transactions in a single shift. (I kenna $60+ before). How to pay the $100+ rental in this situation? Cos cashless transactions takes up to 3 working days before the amount is credited into our bank accounts (credit card longest, nets better,cab charge fastest, but longer if falls on friday or weekend). In the meantime, I have to continue paying the rent...with what?
Personally, I think Nets & Credit Card is the killer app for Comfort/Citycab. There were many times when my cab was hired first despite not being first-in-line in the taxi queue. Why..cos the brothers & sisters in front of me all non-Comfort/Citycab..no nets. It is the main reason you see so many Comfort/Citycab taxis on the road despite the fact that we are paying the highest rental. That and the booking system. Anyway passengers can see from the taxi's MDT screen whether the system is up or down. Ask the driver next time you take a cab.
Hopefully this gives you a little insight into the problems cabbies faced concerning your 2 complaints.
Roads in Singapore are numerous but are no match compared to the complexity of London. I do not expect Singapore cabbies to know the roads in JB anymore than the British expects London cabbies to know the roads in Manchester. But I certainly do expect Singapore cabbies to know their job. The problem is that there is no structured training and no qualifying exams for taxi drivers in Singapore.
As for pay, doctors in UK earn two to three times more as well, so do bus drivers and practically every job. So it works out the same...their taxi drivers earn more, but they also pay more taxes and pay far more for a plate of chicken rice (12-15 singapore dollars in London).
Irregardless of cabbies' woes with regard tyo NETS. If you agree to drive a taxi with NETS/credit card validator, then you are bound by your contract to offer the service. If your system is down, it is the driver's responsibility to make sure it is repaired before going on the roads. If we flood the market with foreigners, I'll bet that they are hungry enough to drive a cab with NETS validator, even if they have to wait 3 days to get their money. Bangladeshi workers as reported in the papers have been waiting months just to get paid.
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wau so much writings... first time this taxi forum attracted this kind of exchanges wor... eh oxford, even if london cabbies really tip top in routes, does that make them the best cabbies in the world? i havent heard anything of that sort leh... anyway where you traveled in sg that cabby dun know the shortest route? tell me your actual experience and we assess them. also if GPS in denmark so solid, then y not all countries using that? and complain all u can about local cabbies, foreigners are still shocked that our local gals feel very safe going home alone in taxi... that says alot more than your mere claim that FT can be as trustworthy... still the same argument loh... if sg cabbies can do the job sufficiently well, why need FT? the argument is not whether FT can be good cabby in SG. Which i believe they can over time.... in fact any job also the same including your job... the nets system... some hour works... next hour may not work... how to make sure it works all the time? a lot of ground experience and observations u dont know lah...
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Uh....are FTs better, if so then the job goes to the better candidate.
Sometimes I ask customer to pay using nets or credit cards, knn they ask me to pay the admin fees for them.
Training at the Taxi Academy for six months without pay already cost me a lot of loans. Train for 3 years, sell my body parts to survive liao.
Many people start work from ground up, not many can start as 'manyzer'. How long did you take to become what you are now? Likewise new drivers need time.
Regular taxi commuters know the route they want to take. Going to new unknown places, at 20cents for approximately 400metres traveled, it won't cost an arm or a leg to find it, unless the driver want to cut-throat you.
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ya lor, eh oxford, i hope you are not one of those very fussy paxs who will scream blood if you take one alley length longer route ... haha like got one indian, damn ya ya.. bendemeer to tekka mall... i ask which route u prefer? he says up to you but think can just go straight... ok here we go... bendemeer to jalan beser than turn at dunlop... hey y u take this route! damn long you know! you should turn right just now (he meant race course road)... dumb pax who thinks he knows... anyway i just keep quiet and collect every cent of the fare and zoom off... no point explaining or arguing... PRC also like that... dun know but yet if you take any slighest unfamiliar route to them, they will comment loudly why go one big round? some times expect you to make illegal u-turn. Ang Moh - sir which route u prefer - just take the quickest... and they really mean quickest or smoothest even if slightly longer... in fact, even those who are familiar with sg road finds it annoying u even ask which route to take. Malay/Chinese - get in only usually they will tell you the perferred route if they have a preference... e.g. turn left here then CTE exit xxx.... like that steady mah... not that i dun know the correct route but if you got strong preference, it can prevent misunderstanding... everyone happy... i am always prepared and can accept that everyone got difference cabbing preference ... no need to be obsessed with absolute shortest... may not be the cheapest half the time anyway...
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I find that many Limo taxi drivers got some kind of bad driving attitude on the roads. anyhow cut lanes, drive in dangerous manner, etc etc. The normal taxi drivers fare much better on the roads.
The Limo taxi drivers behave just like those f*** PA plated vocational drivers; I mean those driving passenger vans.
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i think it's common courtesy to state what route you want to take from the outset; it eliminates any confusion or misunderstandings later. of course if the pax has no preference den lagi best. worst is those, you take shortest route they still kpkb ask you take a longer route, and still blame you for going one big round. =.o gei kiang only. one question. is it standard practice to start meter even before pax get on board? i seen driver start the meter about half a minute before pax get on board (e.g. cross the road, load barang barang, etc)
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Originally posted by ALN:
anyway where you traveled in sg that cabby dun know the shortest route? tell me your actual experience and we assess them.
i don't know about him but i kenna so many times til i dulan liao. board a cab only to find out the driver have absolutely no idea where the place is but insisted i pay him the meter fees because the cab has already started moving. then dump me at the side of the road to get another cab.
used to pay up when i first started taking cabs but nowadays i just walk off.
other cases i kenna is the driver don't know where the place is but once i try to alight they'll insist they recall where the place is and drive on with disasterous results for me.
don't say only passengers complain only, once i board a cab at the taxi stand but the uncle told me he's not feeling welll and asked me to take the next cab please, at first i thought he looks quite pitiful and sad so i went over to the next cab.
and upon realising i'm going to jurong west the driver in the 2nd cab exploded and scolded the 1st driver all the way from bugis to jurong. saying the 1st guy not professional, how can do this.
personally kenna quite a few times so i'm quite pissed whenever i kenna drivers who want to choose. think i even kenna once driver lock his doors and only unlock if he likes your destination. found out when i tried to board the cab when it stopped and i couldn't open the door, the cab drove off without a word when he found out my destination.
but quite funny when you think about it, like some others here mentioned i only kenna shit from chinese drivers and malay drivers quite ok no probs so far.
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yo, you havent said where are your destinations that cabbies din know leh...
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Originally posted by ALN:
yo, you havent said where are your destinations that cabbies din know leh…
can't actually recall which were the places. but among them was industrial areas like kallang bahru and depot rd. can't remember the rest since they were one off things plus. i even had problems getting to places like fishermen's village.
can you imagine my feelings when i board a cab it starts moving i tell him my destination then the driver tells me he don't know the area but i still have to pay him because taxi moved liao and i wasted his time haha then after paying the 3 bucks i got chased off.
anyway its pretty long ago like 3 years. haven't been taking cabs much since $20++ trips now cost me $40++ haha <-----< got a shock because i didn't see that amount coming.
a trip home used to cost me $27+- so i didn't mind taking a cab home for the occasional outing then i got hit by a $43 or was it $45 trip? and thats it. usual $10 journeys now cost like $18 for non peak. i was stupified the moment i entered a cab for the first time after the initial big hike when i realised i own the driver more than $8 even before the taxi even moved an inch.
plus something i noticed that made me more wary of taking a cab is for the past year or so most cabs i take tend to take a longer route compared to before. its like 2 out of 3 and i suspect the 3 one that didn't do it is because i let him know i know the route. while i understand as a cab driver you would feel i'm exaggerating but really so far the ones i just get on, give my destination and close my eyes, take "funny" longer routes.
experiences wise, the ones i do like i still have their numbers, incase i need to hire someone for transport i know who to turn to. so its not all bad just that this thread's about complains right?
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In view of SMRT's customer charter, it is stated that the taxi drivers are to take the most direct and practicable route, unless otherwise advised, and also to maintain a pleasant disposition and be courteous at all times towards the passengers.
I am utterly disappointed with the service I was provided by one of the taxi drivers. I boarded the SMRT Taxi SHB 5447G at about 1.30pm today, along with my other 3 guy friends. I did not have the clear view of the taxi driver's name and the closest I got to see was I thought somewhat like Tay Ngam Kwee.We took the cab infront of ITE SIMEI and wanted to head to Temasek Polytechnic located in Tampines. The taxi driver was taking the longest route of that distance I've ever experienced in a cab. The journey from ITE SIMEI to Temasek Polytechnic would be less than 10minutes and not exceeding $5.40. The driver however took a very long route in Tampines when he could just made a U-Turn at ITE Simei which then leads straight to Temasek Poly. After being in the cab for 10 minutes and realising that we were passing unfamiliar routes, one of my friend, told the driver that there could actually be several other practical routes for him to use in the future.
It was ridiculous to actually pay $9 for a cab fare at 1.30pm from ITE Simei to Temasek Poly! The driver then argued with my friend continuously and blamed us for not telling him which route to take when we boarded. I personally felt that he, which I suppose is an experienced taxi driver, should know the practical routes around Singapore. Nobody would pay $9 for that journey.
He kept arguing with my friend and even told my friend off "If you think you know the road better, you can drive now!". He also said, "If you can't afford to take a taxi then don't take!" THIS IS A VERY RUDE REMARK TO PASSENGERS. I felt very offended. $9 is not a problem for me. I go everywhere in a taxi. But, what is the big deal about a taxi driver that he can go to an extent of saying that to us? He even said that the taxi belongs to him and he has every right to say anything.
He, paid as a driver, and being in the service industry, serving the public, should be polite and not rude!
He started to argue and raised his voice at my friend until another guy friend of mine in the taxi raised his voice, trying to stop the argument by saying "HUSH!". The driver let out his anger on us and stopped the cab in the middle of the road at Tampines in front of Springfield Secondary and shouted at my friend "FUCK YOU! Who you think you are?!" I was shocked to hear this coming from a taxi driver. Who is he to use vulgarities against his passengers who were just advising and giving opinions on the route and did not even use vulgarity at all against him. I then told him to just continue the journey to Temasek Poly.When we arrived, he shouted at us, "No need to pay. Get out." We are passengers and the drivers are supposed to be at their best service. We are neither cheapskates nor are we cheats. We can afford the taxi fare and paid according to the meter fare.
I am very disappointed with the service I received. This behaviour does not reflect the mission and service standards of SMRT. I really felt offended and humiliated by the behaviour and remarks made by the driver.I feel that this driver is not suitable at all to serve the public. He was lucky enough we weren't aggressive and violent as this might not be the case if it were some other passengers. If this happens to the tourists, what will tourists even think about Singapore and the people and the service standards here? This is a very shameful behaviour displayed to the public. It was an horrible taxi experience today coming from SMRT
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Originally posted by Shadie050108:
The driver let out his anger on us and stopped the cab in the middle of the road at Tampines in front of Springfield Secondary and shouted at my friend "FUCK YOU! Who you think you are?!"
not exactly related but something like that happened to one of my friends.
we were at bugis junction around 10-11pm and decided to take a cab home and the first cab he flagged down didn't want to go to chua chu kang and jurong west and somehow between a space of maybe 10-20secs from the point the cab stopped,the two of them started pointing fingers and shouting fuck you chee byes and fuck your mother chee bye at each other and pointing middle fingers at the same time while the cab slowly drove off. -
Originally posted by Shadie050108:
In view of SMRT's customer charter, it is stated that the taxi drivers are to take the most direct and practicable route, unless otherwise advised
That is right. Which route to take? The shortest and most direct route. If ERP is operational on that route, cab driver should inform the passenger. That is the cabbie's responsibility.
Real-time GPS systems like those in use in Denmark will allow foreigners to drive taxis following a period of training. If we allow foreigners to drive taxis, this will be a viable solution and will lower taxi fares. Why use foreigners when locals can do the same job? Because foreigners are willing to do the job for less pay. That is the case with thousands of other jobs in Singapore, why not cabbies? Taxi drivers should be subjected to global competition like everyone else. If we have foreigners who are far more hungry for fares compared to locals we will have less complaints about cab drivers who refuse fares because the destination is nearby.
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wau lan, oxford, u got something fresh to write or not? everytime u write about your GPS and foreign cabby... me very sian liao
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Originally posted by ALN:
wau lan, oxford, u got something fresh to write or not? everytime u write about your GPS and foreign cabby… me very sian liao
he must be pissed off because he kenna too many times liao. despite taking cabs rarely nowadays, maybe less than 5 times a year i still will kenna the rejection part. it doesn't feel good to know you're at the mercy of someone when you're rushing for time.
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my 1st brother is a pilot with SIA.
he takes the cab home(in tampines) & has encountered too many pretty unpleasant attitudes from taxi drivers here.
some taxi drivers even exclaim, "wah! i so lucky ah tampines!"
i told him to keep a list for two years. and sexpose all the registration numbers in the press forums after two years.