Rental rates for taxis prohibitive, ERP charges absurd

Nov 22, 2007

FIRST of all, contrary to what I often read, I believe our taxi system and drivers here are on par with the best in the world, if not better. My benchmarks for this are its efficiency, safety, comfort, reliability and cleanliness.

Unfortunately, all these benchmarks are of no relevance when you are attempting to catch a taxi during peak hours, at popular spots, when taxi drivers are changing shifts and around midnight. Flagging a taxi at these times apparently can trigger frustrated commuters to consider taking up permanent residence elsewhere.

Taxi woes in Singapore are a fairly regular feature in our home news and forum page. Equally frequent are suggestions of adding surcharge or increasing fares as solutions. I beg to differ. The rates and charges of taxis in Singapore are already one of the most complicated. I believe the problem lies in several areas.

First, I think current taxes and vehicle rental rates imposed on taxi drivers are suspiciously prohibitive, reducing their hard-earned income working 10-12 hours per day to a ludicrous sum. Second, I find subjecting public services like taxis and public buses to ERP charges incomprehensible. Their very existence is to provide point-to-point transportation services, especially where private vehicles are discouraged or disallowed. Finally, I think there is ineffective enforcement against errant taxi drivers who flout rules or use their taxis for anything but as a public transport.

Until these issues are seriously addressed, no amount of fare increase will solve our taxi woes. Taxis exist to provide point-to-point transportation to commuters regardless of time of day or locality. If cabbies diligently perform their service, then they should be remunerated fairly. If they are not, they should not be enticed with fare increases.

Crosby Ong Hock Chye