why? so many a day
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By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
TAXI drivers are either the most dangerous or hard-luck drivers on the road. They are behind the wheel of 3 per cent of Singapore's vehicle population but are involved in 14 per cent of the accidents.
Things seem to be getting worse, with taxi companies seeing their premiums soar over the last few years, and one insurer which used to focus on cab insurance dropping out altogether.
Between 2007 and last year, there were about 22,000 accidents each year involving taxis, or an average of 60 a day. It also works out to nearly one accident for every cab on the road.
On average, there were 162,000 motor accidents a year over the same period, or one in every six vehicles.
Taxi insurers were not available to comment, but a senior executive at leading motor insurer Chartis said: 'We do see a rising trend from accidents involving taxis.'
According to the Land Transport Authority, taxis make up less than 3 per cent of the total vehicle population of 933,000.
The accident situation is not unique to Singapore. A 2008 state study in Connecticut found that the taxi accident rate there was more than quadruple that of the passenger vehicle rate.
Some note that taxi drivers have far greater odds of getting into collisions given the long hours they spend on the roads.
And the situation may be worsening.
ComfortDelGro, the largest player with around 15,500 cabs, has seen its insurance expenses rising by millions over the last few years.
Last year, its taxi premiums totalled $71 million - $5 million more than in 2008, and more than double its 2004 bill of $32.4 million. In the meantime, its fleet size has hardly changed.
The smaller players are seeing it too. Smart Taxis managing director Johnny Harjantho said the trend of rising premiums is 'worrying'.
Owner-operators seem to be hit the hardest. One of them, 62-year-old Goh Seow Chai, has been a cabby for 40 years. 'Just three years ago, third-party coverage cost as little as $1,500,' he said. 'Now, it's around $4,000 - if you have been accident-free. If you had accidents, it can be as much as $10,000 to $13,000.
'I know drivers who had to borrow from relatives. They have no choice, they need to drive to make a living.'
Third-party injury liability cover is mandatory for road users in Singapore.
On average, motor premiums for other vehicles have risen by a less drastic 30 per cent since 2004.
MULTIMEDIA 
- Photos: 60 accidents a day involving TAXISSome observers point to an explosion in the number of taxis as having created a situation of supply outstripping demand.
Since the market was liberalised in 2003, the taxi population has soared by 30 per cent to around 25,000 now.
Taxi ridership, on the other hand, has grown by a more modest 9 per cent.
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If there is only one pedestrain waiting at zebra crossing,most Taxi drivers normally choose to ignore him.If they see you approaching the zebra crossing,they will speed up instead of slowing down.If you are waiting for the "Green man" to cross the road,make sure the Taxi beside you is completely stopped.If you dismount your bicycle to cross the traffic junction,you can feel the very impatient Taxi uncle press the accelearator very hard.....cos they can't wait......
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Taxi drivers are reckless.
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Driver's licence to be suspended instantlyWed, Sep 15, 2010
AsiaOne
Above: The smashed-up Mazda MX-5 at the Traffic Police Pound. Pictured inset is Ms He Xueli, a 22-year-old car sales agent who died when her customer lost control of the new MX-5 he was test-driving.
AN ENFORCEMENT loophole in the Road Traffic Act has been closed up following the Parliament's sitting on Wednesday.
A driver now faces the immediate suspension of his driving licence if he has caused serious injury or death, or serious damage to buildings and structures, once police investigations commence.
Such a suspension imposed will remain in force until the case is tried and determined in court.
So the above is not involved a taxi driver, What say you? knn, how can any how point your finger. Taxi Drivers are reckless.
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Originally posted by βÎτά:
Taxi drivers are reckless.
Sep 16, 2010
Car chase causes AYE pile-up
A POLICE pursuit of a stolen lorry ended with a five-vehicle collision on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Thursday.
The suspect is believed to have stolen the lorry and travelled to several places before he collided with several cars on the expressway.
Trapped in the driver seat, he had to be rescued by officers from the Civil Defence Force.
He was then arrested and sent to Changi General Hospital.
What? about this latest... not Taxi Driver....hor, so who? on reckless... your pronunciation need to correct....yo.
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it's not fair to say only taxi drivers are reckless
u should see how some private cars drive...
vans,trucks,motorbikes etc
even TP drive & ride recklessly,zooming at 130km/hr on highway but siren not on
knn
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Just look at the statistics, one accident for every taxi per year, if that is the case with private cars, then it would be one accident for every private car per year.
Something you can't deny is, taxi drivers are indeed reckless.
Just read the first article, the statistics involved.
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Did I miss something?
Maybe the article is trying to tell us that taxi drivers are very safe drivers.
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Originally posted by kinwashi: Wed, Sep 15, 2010
AsiaOne <!-- TITLE : start
-->Driver's licence to be suspended instantly <!-- TITLE :
end--> <!-- Story With Image End --> <!--
CONTENT : start -->Above: The smashed-up Mazda MX-5 at the Traffic Police Pound. Pictured inset is Ms He Xueli, a 22-year-old car sales agent who died when her customer lost control of the new MX-5 he was test-driving.
AN ENFORCEMENT loophole in the Road Traffic Act has been closed up following the Parliament's sitting on Wednesday.
A driver now faces the immediate suspension of his driving licence if he has caused serious injury or death, or serious damage to buildings and structures, once police investigations commence.
<!-- Zone Tag : SPH
In-Text --> Such a suspension imposed will remain in force until the case is tried and determined in court.
So the above is not involved a taxi driver, What say you? knn, how can any how point your finger. Taxi Drivers are reckless.
No one said that non-taxi drivers have ZERO ACCIDENT right?
You show us two reports that are not taxi drivers, so what?
The numbers still prove that taxi drivers are reckless, 3% of vehicles but 14% of accidents.
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they should compare total mileage of the private cars vs taxis mileage and compare...
anyway, its true... the more you drive, the higher your chance of an accident... -
No one said that non-taxi drivers have ZERO ACCIDENT right?
You show us two reports that are not taxi drivers, I am talking... so what?
The numbers still prove that taxi drivers are reckless, 3% of vehicles but 14% of accidents
My intention of putting this articles, just to updated my fellows members and some newbies that Chiong or not to chiongs is worth of not.... just for those 10 or 20 dollars trips.
Nothing to do with those non taxi drivers as you mentioned, that i am concern.
Why?
As the example below if that will be a Taxi Driver is involved...hardtime he or she will be in big trouble. In many ways....so chiong or not to chiong, as one TD mentioned before doing 140kmh at AYE reaching boon lay mrt. Just to shown his anger...you understand?
Sep 16, 2010
Driver held over fatal crash
A FEMALE insurance agent aged 25 was arrested following a head-on collision between her car and a motorcycle in Jurong on Wednesday.
Mr Mohammed Aidil Mohammed Ghazali, the 31-year-old motorcyclist, hit the Volkswagen Polo's bonnet and was thrown off his bike.
He died at the scene from serious head injuries.
The collision occurred as the insurance agent was turning from Jurong Town Hall Road onto the Pan Island Expressway towards Changi Airport; Mr Aidil had been headed in the opposite direction.
The woman, who cannot be named because she is a possible defendant, was arrested at the scene and is out on bail.
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As a TD must chiong or not to chiong,
some said,
Chiong generate more income.
No Chiong eat what? one shift only 12 hours.
So my question, if this happen to you, and you the one of the lucky ones of those report 60 TD a day. Than how ...ha.
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LIke, one of my kaki, driving a new Sonata just only three months, talking cock session at break location at coffeeshop. Told us how experiences he was on road, with few years knowledges, a few incidents he managed to stop involving an accident cause of his experience.
Just happen last month he got into an accident bumped into the back of another car at T junction at Novena square. (at Fault)
This recent he is involved in another chain collision at CTE involved with six cars he is the last car. (at Fault)
So may question Chiong or not to Chiong is better.
better think twice
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that why?
knowledge speak, wisdom listen.
Bystanders.....Taxi uncle talking to taxi uncles, why? must you involved...haha.
Chiong or not to Chiong not (reckless..pronunciation wrong again)..haha.
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Well, everyone is entitle to his/her opinion. If you thinks taxi drivers are reckless, for you own safety don't take taxi. Those who are driving , just keep a safe distance from taxi. If that area has lot of taxi just avoid that area. Should have full day taxi lane ! THANK YOU.
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Remember don't be a taxi driver. Don't add to the statistics. THANK YOU
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LTA should come up with a demerit point system, if taxi drivers breach that level, they should have their license suspended or revoked.
Driving more hours doesn't add to more accidents, but driving more hours with reckless behaviour does add to more accidents.
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Originally posted by kinwashi:
No one said that non-taxi drivers have ZERO ACCIDENT right?
You show us two reports that are not taxi drivers, I am talking... so what?
The numbers still prove that taxi drivers are reckless, 3% of vehicles but 14% of accidents
How often would non-taxi drivers have their vehicles out on the road? Maybe 2 hours a day on average? Meanwhile taxis would be out 12/24 hours a day.
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Looked this kind really dangerous... to road users.....what say you?
But the getaway ended just after the Alexander Road exit, where the lorry collided with several other vehicles.
Sep 17, 2010
Car chase ends in crash
A high speed police chase after a lorry thief ended yesterday afternoon when the lorry collided into other vehicles on the AYE towards Tuas, near the Alexandra Road exit. -- PHOTO: ST READER
A DRAMATIC high speed police chase after a lorry thief on Thursday afternoon ended with a five vehicle collision on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).
The suspect, a 37-year-old man, was believed to have stolen a lorry belonging to a pipe maintenance company located at Ubi Road 3.
What he did not know, was that the vehicle was installed with a Global Positioning System (GPS) that allowed its whereabouts to be tracked.
Mr Shaik Nazeemuddin, general manager of the company which owns the vehicle, told The Straits Times that the lorry was being driven by the firm's technician before it was reported missing. The technician had parked the vehicle outside his flat at Ubi Avenue 1 sometime after 10am when he went for a toilet break. Though he locked the lorry, the man left the key on a table beside his door.
When the technician came out, he found both the key and lorry missing.
When alerted that the lorry had been stolen, he jumped into his Madza 3 with two other employees and drove to Changi Road North where the lorry's position had been tracked on the GPS system.
It was then that the police entered the chase as officers from the Bedok Police Division spotted the lorry travelling along Upper Changi Road North, towards the direction of Changi Prison. They trailed the lorry onto the Pan Island Expressway and East Coast Parkway before getting onto the AYE.
But the getaway ended just after the Alexander Road exit, where the lorry collided with several other vehicles.
A spokesman from the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that the suspect was found trapped in the driver's seat and had to be rescued using a hydraulic spreader. He was then arrested and taken to Changi General Hospital.
There were no other casualties in the incident but the highway drama resulted in a massive jam which slowed traffic down for hours.
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A few example...Reckless ....they should or should not have their license suspended or revoked ALSO.
Dangerous driving and harsh braking in public buses can cause serious injuries to commuters and need to be addressed urgently, says STOMPer HK.STOMPer Derrick caught this speeding Toyota driver on video, and said that this dangerous driving should not have occurred.STOMPer Dave spotted this biker riding with his spare helmet balanced on his bike's fuel tank, and feels this is dangerous riding.STOMPer Dave says he stared at this man who was driving and talking on his mobile phone, but was ignored.STOMPer Ah Boy84 was driving along the AYE on Sunday (July 18) when he encountered this driver who swerved and jam-braked in front of him.STOMPer Jeff was emerging from the BKE to the PIE at Bukit Timah on July 8 when he spotted this instance of dangerous driving. "Was the driver piling on workers and materials onto one truck to beat the fuel hike?" he asks.According to STOMPer Thunder, the driver was very engrossed in his conversation and did not notice he was being photographed.A STOMPer saw this black car zipping through traffic on the left lane along the ECP and wondered if the driver was practicing for the F1 or simply unaware that he was driving dangerously.This STOMPer wonders why the words on this road sign at Lornie Road are masked with black tape when the viaduct there is already open. Confused drivers often have to jam brake and switch lanes dangerously -
a taxi driver drives 300 km to 500 km per 12 hr shift per driver ,compared to 20 to 30 km for a private vehicle so 1 taxi driver equals to 10 private veh. drivers ,so 20000taxis x 10 is 200000taxis on the road . does anyone imagine it this way if u want to blame a taxi just imagine u driving to kuala lumpur everyday is about the same mileage .
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It's not the long hours, it's the recklessness, because taxi drivers drive fast during peak hours so that they can get more pax turnover to earn more money.
If you keep the required distance, signal when required, stop on red light (not speed up on amber light), don't overtake recklessly. I am sure the accident figures will drop.
1 private vehicle = 1 taxi?
You think private vehicle owners only use their cars 1.2 hour a day?
You think you drive the full 12 hour shift?
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Yes agreed, when you want to said something like this, you need to do a empirical study, for example, take private car drivers to do a taxi kind of timing of 12 hrs driving per day, go for a month or a week, then let see how is it?? By just taking taxi driving alone is unfair to us, tho I am a taxi driver, I would said that there are reckless driver everywhere. To pin point us is unfair.
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But I have also seen a minority of good taxi drivers on the road, they give way and don't drive recklessly like the rest.
We need more civil taxi drivers like these on the roads, not those money hungry taxi drivers trying each and every way to make an extra buck from commuters.
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Same, we also need pax like you to appreciate good TD, and we also need more civil private car drivers who understand the life of TD on the road.
On a business/working point of view, everyone, from CEO to chickent stall sellers to workers etc etc are making the best out of a living, there are TDs who try just to get more of a few cents, and there are CEO will twist and turn just to earn a few millions.
