Get to the root of taxi trouble

Thursday / December 6, 2007
Letter from DAVID SOH POH HUAT

I find the idea of an increase in taxi fares disturbing. I hope the authorities will seriously review the implications.

Small business owners, especially hawkers, use taxis to transport their goods. To cover the rise in operating costs, they will probably have to raise the prices of their goods or services.
Also, the increase does not mean taxi drivers will earn more.

Moreover, it is just a matter of time before taxi operators increase rentals again and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges are raised yet again. These measures will affect taxi drivers as well.
Will the proposed changes ensure that more taxis are available during peak hours in the Central Business District (CBD)? I doubt it.

It may be inevitable to raise taxi fares, but does it benefit the taxi drivers or the operators?

The authorities should conduct a study to determine the root of the problem and come up with a solution that will benefit commuters, taxi drivers and operators, rather than just increase fares.

Find causes of the problem, rather than just raise fares Taxi firms should look into well-being of their drivers
Letter from CHUA HEAN CHUAN

I would like to offer my suggestions on how to tackle the taxi problem:

- Reduce daily rental fees.
- Increase employee benefits and offer programmes to enhance customer service and knowledge of Singapore landmarks for cabbies.
- Devise flexible programmes for part-time cabbies to increase the number of taxis on the roads.
- Introduce a flat ERP fee for cabbies entering the CBD or restricted zones. They should be able to enter such areas freely for a whole day once they have paid this fee. Instead of passing on the fee to commuters, cabbies should bear this cost.
- Make midnight charges double the daytime fare while keeping the charges during the day affordable. This will encourage more commuters to take taxis, rather than drive. This will also improve road congestion, especially during peak hours.

Taxi operators, while it is important to answer to stakeholders, it may be worthwhile to look at an essential component to business success: The well-being of your employees.

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