Thursday, 31 January 2008
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Oh, for some dirt somewhere
Wednesday January 16, 2008
COMMENT
By MARINA MAHATHIR
Despite certain annoying traits, and the fact that wandering around shopping malls ranks as a form of exercise for Singaporeans, there are some things that they do well.
I KNOW we hate to compare ourselves with Singapore as a matter of reflex. And indeed all that antiseptic-ness of the city-state does make you wish for some grime or dirt somewhere to make it seem more human.
You yearn for people who don’t fall in line so easily, who have an opinion about things.
Of course they have their faults, the prime ones being a tendency to condescend to their neighbours; but they do it in an almost innocent way.
I recall hearing one earnest young thing once declare: “In Singapore, women have equal rights, but I understand in other countries they don’t.”
It never ceases to amaze me how the mere matter of a Causeway between us is no deterrent to an astonishing level of ignorance about how Malaysians actually live.
I remember once, after the premier of a movie I helped produce which featured trendy young KL kids, a Singaporean, wide-eyed in wonder, said: “I never knew you all lived in houses like that!” (Meaning modern suburban housing estates).
And I thought all this time I should feel guilty about stereotyping Singaporeans!
Still, despite these annoying traits and the fact that wandering around shopping malls ranks as a form of exercise for them, there are some things that Singaporeans do well.
The sheer efficiency of the whole place sometimes comes as a blessed relief after the irritating unreliability of some of our services.
They haven’t reached the level of the Japanese, who would almost kill themselves if they imagined they’ve offended a customer, but there are some things that they do right.
My friend called for a taxi to Changi for me, and I was amazed that she didn’t actually have to talk to anyone to book the taxi. It’s all done over the mobile phone.
Press certain numbers and voila, you are told that a particular taxi is headed your way in approximately five to 10 minutes. And they actually do arrive within that time!
What’s more, it’s an extremely clean taxi, they go by the meter, and they even accept credit cards! How very First World!
It sure beats our age-old system where you dial up the taxi company and hang on until they deign to answer, whereupon you have to put up with someone who manages to be rude in a language unknown to most of humankind.
After you’ve given your details, they then tell you 'No taxi!' and immediately hang up. You then try another taxi company and repeat the whole process.
If you are lucky enough to finally get one, you then have to steel yourself to risk any number of diseases sitting in it. You also have to remind yourself to check that the driver did put the meter on, just to avoid any arguments later on.
All in all, a stressful experience.
At Changi Airport, one of the most noticeable things is the numbers of old people working there. They are mostly directing passengers to taxis or retrieving baggage trolleys.
Not exactly mind-enhancing, but it does keep pensioners gainfully employed in a place where they get to watch people coming and going.
Here we import people just to push trolleys from one end of the airport to the other, a total waste of energy for both the employer and the employee.
While service in the stores in Singapore does tend to make your skin crawl sometimes, at least you do have service. In these desperate retail times, it’s not unusual for salespeople to almost literally jump out of their stores to accost you and persuade you to come and look at their merchandise.
It may be more attention than you want, especially when you don’t intend to buy anything, but for a brief moment at least you do feel slightly important.
Which is more than I can say for many of our stores. I don’t understand why retailers put salespeople who know nothing about their products to work. If you do get any attention at all, this would already be a small miracle.
After that, the decision to buy is left entirely to your mood, not how persuasive your salesperson is. I’ve left stores simply because salespeople have seemed so disinterested in selling me anything.
Let’s not even get started on customer service on the phone. My Internet connection at home has been down for some 10 days and that’s because, despite my persistent complaints, the service provider is not interested in coming over to see what’s wrong. I am now seriously looking at other providers.
I don’t think I could last living in our southern neighbour because I would get bored too quickly. But as for those brief visits, getting things done quicker and more efficiently can really be quite exciting.
COMMENT
By MARINA MAHATHIR
Despite certain annoying traits, and the fact that wandering around shopping malls ranks as a form of exercise for Singaporeans, there are some things that they do well.
I KNOW we hate to compare ourselves with Singapore as a matter of reflex. And indeed all that antiseptic-ness of the city-state does make you wish for some grime or dirt somewhere to make it seem more human.
You yearn for people who don’t fall in line so easily, who have an opinion about things.
Of course they have their faults, the prime ones being a tendency to condescend to their neighbours; but they do it in an almost innocent way.
I recall hearing one earnest young thing once declare: “In Singapore, women have equal rights, but I understand in other countries they don’t.”
It never ceases to amaze me how the mere matter of a Causeway between us is no deterrent to an astonishing level of ignorance about how Malaysians actually live.
I remember once, after the premier of a movie I helped produce which featured trendy young KL kids, a Singaporean, wide-eyed in wonder, said: “I never knew you all lived in houses like that!” (Meaning modern suburban housing estates).
And I thought all this time I should feel guilty about stereotyping Singaporeans!
Still, despite these annoying traits and the fact that wandering around shopping malls ranks as a form of exercise for them, there are some things that Singaporeans do well.
The sheer efficiency of the whole place sometimes comes as a blessed relief after the irritating unreliability of some of our services.
They haven’t reached the level of the Japanese, who would almost kill themselves if they imagined they’ve offended a customer, but there are some things that they do right.
My friend called for a taxi to Changi for me, and I was amazed that she didn’t actually have to talk to anyone to book the taxi. It’s all done over the mobile phone.
Press certain numbers and voila, you are told that a particular taxi is headed your way in approximately five to 10 minutes. And they actually do arrive within that time!
What’s more, it’s an extremely clean taxi, they go by the meter, and they even accept credit cards! How very First World!
It sure beats our age-old system where you dial up the taxi company and hang on until they deign to answer, whereupon you have to put up with someone who manages to be rude in a language unknown to most of humankind.
After you’ve given your details, they then tell you 'No taxi!' and immediately hang up. You then try another taxi company and repeat the whole process.
If you are lucky enough to finally get one, you then have to steel yourself to risk any number of diseases sitting in it. You also have to remind yourself to check that the driver did put the meter on, just to avoid any arguments later on.
All in all, a stressful experience.
At Changi Airport, one of the most noticeable things is the numbers of old people working there. They are mostly directing passengers to taxis or retrieving baggage trolleys.
Not exactly mind-enhancing, but it does keep pensioners gainfully employed in a place where they get to watch people coming and going.
Here we import people just to push trolleys from one end of the airport to the other, a total waste of energy for both the employer and the employee.
While service in the stores in Singapore does tend to make your skin crawl sometimes, at least you do have service. In these desperate retail times, it’s not unusual for salespeople to almost literally jump out of their stores to accost you and persuade you to come and look at their merchandise.
It may be more attention than you want, especially when you don’t intend to buy anything, but for a brief moment at least you do feel slightly important.
Which is more than I can say for many of our stores. I don’t understand why retailers put salespeople who know nothing about their products to work. If you do get any attention at all, this would already be a small miracle.
After that, the decision to buy is left entirely to your mood, not how persuasive your salesperson is. I’ve left stores simply because salespeople have seemed so disinterested in selling me anything.
Let’s not even get started on customer service on the phone. My Internet connection at home has been down for some 10 days and that’s because, despite my persistent complaints, the service provider is not interested in coming over to see what’s wrong. I am now seriously looking at other providers.
I don’t think I could last living in our southern neighbour because I would get bored too quickly. But as for those brief visits, getting things done quicker and more efficiently can really be quite exciting.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Friday, 25 January 2008
A priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was at the Pearly gates waiting for them.
Come with me’, said St. Peter to the taxi driver.
The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an olympic size pool.
‘Wow, thank you’, said the taxi driver.
Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set.
‘Wait, I think you are a little mixed up’, said the priest. ‘Shouldn’t I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God’s word.’
‘Yes, that’s true. But during your sermons people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.’
Come with me’, said St. Peter to the taxi driver.
The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an olympic size pool.
‘Wow, thank you’, said the taxi driver.
Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set.
‘Wait, I think you are a little mixed up’, said the priest. ‘Shouldn’t I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God’s word.’
‘Yes, that’s true. But during your sermons people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.’
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Drivers' earnings up, cab waiting times down: Raymond Lim
Commuters only have to wait for up to 6 minutes for a cab, significantly less than the 5 to 22 minutes before the fare hike. -- ST PHOTO: ALAN LIMJan 22, 2008
Drivers' earnings up, cab waiting times down: Raymond Lim
By Jermyn Chow
THE recent taxi fare hike may have just put a lid on a cab crunch which was threatening to boil over.
If preliminary findings are anything to go by, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said the fare revision last month was 'effective' in meeting the increasing demand of taxis in the Central Business District (CBD).
Based on figures taken four weeks after the Dec 18 fare hike, Mr Lim said waiting times in the city area during peak hours have 'gone down substantially'.
Mr Lim revealed that commuters in the city only have to wait for up to 6 minutes for a cab, significantly less than the 5 to 22 minutes before the fare hike.
Waiting times at the Suntec City taxi stands - said to be the worst performing of the lot - have been cut drastically from 22 minutes to 4 minutes.
While some cabbies have complained that passengers are not flagging taxis, Mr Lim said their earnings have however gone up.
Based on figures provided by ComfortDelGro, Singapore's biggest taxi operator, cabbies are pocketing about $11 more a day, earning about $318.
Mr Lim was responding to questions from MP for Tampines GRC Ms Irene Ng and MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Mr Baey Yam Keng in Parliament.
Mr Lim also allayed Ms Ng's fears, saying that the extra surcharges for cabs plying the city areas would not pinch the supply in the suburbs.
The Transport Minister assured the House that the Land Transport Authority would continue to monitor the situation over the next 3 to 4 months and work with taxi operators and associations.
Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement & Condition of Access
(#2) ReapWhatYouSow January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:16 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minister RL, please go drive a taxi for a day and find the truth from real hands-on experience.Drive the talk. (#3) forgetitlah January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:21 PM
this type of reporting is nothing new. our mainstream paper likes to paint a very rosy picture of the situation on ground level.
show the proof.
it seems like just not long ago we read that taxi drivers are complaining. or was I reading news under the 'World' section?
#2 RWYS, if we ask our dear minister to drive a taxi, guarantee we'll have his kah kias all lining up along the road waiting to flag his cab.
(#4) ReapWhatYouSow January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:23 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That will be outright cheating.
I quit.
(#5) kfanatics January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:40 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I rather wait 5 ~ 22mins to have the old price back. Can I?
As for the earning up, how many cab drivers did Delgro interviewed to get that figure?
(#6) Prokinetic January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:45 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wait another 2 months for the real picture to emerge.
(#7) cc1034 January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:46 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base on what was reported by ST and presented in Parliamant by our TM is true!!! that cab drivers daily earnings has increased to $318 and less rental + misc of $130, the monthly income of our cab drivers is $5640. !!!! Did our Tax IRAS collected the right amount from our Cab drivers?? If the cab drivers income is so high, why the touting, grumbling and complainig in the first place. The TM need to be replaced as his presentation is very vague and not enough substance; income increased by how much? how many %? A primary school normal stream kid can present better than him.
(#8) ReapWhatYouSow January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 04:58 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that type of income, all borderline guys should go drive.
(#9) forgetitlah January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
was rental reduced?
(#10) WhatNext January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:06 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What, who gave him this kind of report?? Does Raymond Lim really think that the Singapore populations are dumb 3-years old kids that can easily buy-in to what he claimed. SHOW US THE PROOF AND LET US SCRUTINIZED THE DATA AS WELL!!!
Did he personally talk to the taxi drivers on the ground, or he had simply based his statements on the nicely packaged and touched-up report produced by the taxi companies like Comfort-Delgro (and can we trust government companies like them to give us transparent and representative reports)?
I have been talking to taxi drivers whenever I am on-board one, and ALL told me the same thing - that their earnings had dropped and they have to work harder and longer hours now in order to get back the same earning before the fare revision.
Granted the fact that some of these taxi-drivers maybe untruthful, but what is visible is that ALL of them are not in favor and are unhappy with the fare revision (if it really benefit them, why won't they be so unhappy...).
Raymond Lim, go face the facts and talk to the taxi drivers personally to get the real picture, and stopped relying on those packaged reports that comes from all your "YES" men, who are only interested in licking your shoes!!!
Better still, why don't you get a independent 3rd party audit or survey company to conduct a survey on all taxi drivers and see what you get...
Stop being so eager to show that you had achieved without showing us the real proof!!!
(#11) lich_king January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:06 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"cabbies are pocketing about $11 more a day, earning about $318."
Suppose Cabby Lim works 5 days a week:
One week he 'pockets' 5 days X $318 = $1590
One month he will 'pocket' 4 weeks X $1590 = $6360!!!
WOW!!!!! (#12) SMorliere January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:10 PM
Clear sign of another impending increase on taxis' daily rental rates by Comfort-Delgro??
(#13) SMorliere January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:12 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What would be the outcome if the taxi companies had simply reduce the daily rental rates, instead of increasing the fares??
(#14) kfanatics January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:21 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The taxi companies will one by one start to complain of low profit.
(#15) Robinkwang January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:23 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It stated clearly on 7th para that the figures are provided by ComfortDelGro to show that drivers' earning are up.
Seems like the increase on cabbies' daily rental are inevitable.
(#16) simonjllim January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:25 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I totally agree with comments by WhatNext.
When i talk to taxi drivers, all of them say its harder to earn money now. In fact, taxi companies are the ones who are making more money out of the fare increase. From my conversations, the companies have increased other additional costs that taxi drivers have to borne, given that the taxi rates are higher now. I can't remember what they are, but it has to do with the usage of the meter and what nots. So if you calculate the increase in percentage terms, taxi companies actually stand to gain a whole lot more than what the taxi drivers are getting.I think there is a clear lack of transparency, as WhatNext has pointed out as well.
(#17) lplp January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 05:25 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next in line, Taxi rental increases. About $11 daily rental increase across the board....
(#18) michealpek January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 07:59 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
why study drive taxi can liao----sotong.
(#19) michealpek January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 08:32 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
you know why hawkers never dare to charge 35% during peak hours --------because there are too many hawkers around-----you know why taxi company charge 35% during peak hours -----because there are so few of them---------you know who control the taxi numbers------------blame the department that control it and that department head should not get pay increase like what our PM say,-----does this happen???????????
(#20) kenshing January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 08:42 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr Raymond Lim,
Please walk the ground and have a chat with the cab drivers. Every cab driver I have spoke to have complained of a drop in earnings and they are finding it hard to survive.
I cannot dispute the fact that it is easier to get a cab in the cities. Why? Because no one wants to take them! Isn't it obvious.
It is astonishing and disappointing the comments that were made and unfortunately I can only conclude that you seem aloof of the situation which to me is unacceptable in your position as a minister.
(#21) newcastle January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 08:49 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Lim needs to see a medical specialist of some kind - he is obviously delusional. Not one taxi driver I use has had increase - 99% down about 10% and one breaking even.These so called experts need a life lesson..........
(#22) Eagle2004 January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 09:36 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did Transport Minister, Raymond Lim figure this one out all by himself, or did he consult a 6-8 year old kid, proficient in the children's game called "Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle"?
This game has over 40 challenges ranging from beginner (1 scoop) to expert (banana split), where the player shifts the obstructing cars, taxis & trucks out of his path to the exit.
(#23) forgetitlah January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 10:21 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
when I heard his report over the radio, he sounded very convincing leh.
jialat, think i kena brainwashed leow.
*slap* *slap* - ok. awake now.
all only know how to stand behind the podium and speak from a piece of paper. like that i also know.
(#24) lokefookcheong January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 10:47 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The taxi queuing for passengers is here to stay. It will not go away as the minister hope. Why ? This time it really bite those regular who take taxi to everywhere. They can't take the increase transprot cost anymore and have found alternatives.
Just wait for policy reversal.
(#25) kjks January 22, 2008 Tuesday, 11:06 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did anyone verify Comfort's statistics. This is serious stuff, did any AO in the ministry probe the numbers. How many cab drivers were interviewed? Over what time frame? What about other taxi operators?
(#26) reformation Yesterday, 12:44 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wait till the next election to see what will happen. Why pay such Ministers so high salary just to make such silly comments?
(#27) reformation Yesterday, 12:47 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is this a remark made by our world-class government? haha what a joke!!!!
(#28) Alvin8923 Yesterday, 01:52 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is just plain BS.
(#29) simonyw2007 Yesterday, 06:19 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We may make lots of complains now regarding fare increase, hospitalization increase,cost of living increase....etc etc..... End of the days when Election comes, garment throws some sweet talk and most of us will forget of this. Then new Minister will be call to office and the same old things will get started again. Who to blame? just blame ourself lor.....cause u cast the vote to paying party and u just have to carry on paying.
(#30) simonyw2007 Yesterday, 06:23 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just hopes that more taxis will be returned back to Comfort and Trans, then the real picture will show. Paper data calculation does not paint a real picture, but action will show the real performance.
(#31) Prokinetic Yesterday, 07:19 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
yups.. like i said, just wait another 2-3 months when the cabbies buay tahan already.. they will start returning their cabs. The cab masters will then be hit by less rental fees.. then, only then will they consider reviewing their stupid policies.
Its all about the bottom line. They don't give two hoots about what the common man thinks.
(#32) Prokinetic Yesterday, 07:29 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by the way, it is really strange that the media will report something that is really skewed from public perception.
i'm reminded of totalitarian states such as North Korea where the media is state controlled.
(#33) kfanatics Yesterday, 08:22 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remembered when Delgro announced the fare increase, it was done through a ST first page, BIG headline.
During the 2 weeks no one from any board stood up to say that they support the increase.All sudden now a MOS says that this works??
Shouldnt the Delgro be the one to report this?Why the MOS report on their behalf, since the gahmen always say that they leave the decision to the sector to make. Therefore its only right that they also leave the reporting to them..
Why the MOS has the urge to report the 'success' of the hike??It so confusing the way they twist and turn.....
(#34) Adamantium Yesterday, 08:36 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When commuters complained of a lack of taxis, it was a sign of high demand so that taxi companies should increase the number of their taxis on the road.
But what commuters got instead was an increase in fares!! We are being punished for taking taxis too much!
It’s like if you complain that you are queuing too long for your hamburger at McDonald’s, instead of speeding up their service, opening more service counters, or outlets, McDonald’s increased the price of their hamburgers instead.
Or if you complained about queuing too long at the POSB atm, instead of putting up more atms to serve its customers, POSB charge you a hefty fee for every atm transaction!
I still say we boycott taxis. I can’t believe the government and the taxi cartel is doing this to us.
Taxi cartel:---- In Singapore, after liberalising of the taxi industry, instead of seeing competition amongst the various taxi companies, the latter gang up together to fix taxi fares for the market.
There is no variation in product/service offerings, no differences in price.
There’s the Colombian drug cartel, the South African DeBeers diamond cartel.
In Singapore we have the taxi cartel, under the auspices of the LTA.
(#35) Adamantium Yesterday, 08:47 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come on, everyone. Action speaks louder than words. Spread the word around. BOYCOTT TAXIS.
It would be quite ridiculous if we complain here only to step out and grab a cab afterwards.
The only way to make Transport Minister Raymond Lim eat his words is if we boycott taxis until the obvious becomes painfully obvious.
(#36) emptytalk Yesterday, 08:58 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I do not know who to believe: the isolated report of taxi drivers complaining reduced taking or the multi-million dollar man announcing via mass media that the revision is working.
What is disappointing is that he seems to endorse the hefty increase of taxi fare engineered by the big boys without expressing concern on the impact on the commuters at large who voted him to office.
I wonder who he is serving: the commuters (public) or the taxi operators.
(#37) Prokinetic Yesterday, 09:47 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
yes I'm going to boycott taxis indefinitely.
(#38) michealpek Yesterday, 10:18 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#32the video news reported say taxi drivers not making money, taxi drivers kao pe kao bu cannot tahan liao----i believe for what the video show they will be ganging up to return their taxi after chinese new year.
(#39) michealpek Yesterday, 10:21 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
raymond lim cannot do things like this lah---------if you are still alert in the brain please do an investigation now and prosecute the person who gave you this datas if not then i belieave you are not fit to sit on this chairleh, please wake up.
(#40) Vlahov_21 Yesterday, 10:33 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The high demand for cabs due to the train breakdown on Monday must have pulled up the average earning of cabbie....
(#41) Prokinetic Yesterday, 11:51 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They'll probably take the statistics from Monday and extrapolate it to the rest of the 364 days..
(#42) pat_zhou Yesterday, 12:32 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My elder brother drives a Comfort-Delgro taxi, and he personally told me that it is getting difficult for him nowadays to meet the same earnings that he had been having before the fare revision (and he definitely did not earn S$307 before as what Raymond Lim and Comfort-Delgro claimed, and swear that of those fellow drivers that he know, none earn that kind of intake a day).
On average days since the fare revision, he is now earning about 10%-15% less, and he was really fuming up the roof when he heard what Raymond Lim claimed.
My elder brother told me that since the news (Raymond Lim's claims) broke-out yesterday, every of his fellow drivers he met and speak to are swearing and cursing at Raymond, and sending their "fine" regards to his xxxxxx…
I wonder whether Raymond Lim did feel the constant itchiness on his ears since yesterday!
Seems like we are paying Raymond Lim disgustingly high salary to bullshit around...
(#43) WhatNext Yesterday, 12:58 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wonder why ST did not allow comments to be posted for the same news article being featured in today ST (or link the above comments being posted)?
Wa-lau...is it because there's too much s**t being posted here that are not too pleasing to Raymond's ear... is it huh?
Mati liao...all of us sire kenna marked (by who you think huh?)...
(#44) Adamantium Yesterday, 01:24 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#37 Prokinetic
Right on, man! Boycott taxis!
(#45) michealpek Yesterday, 03:20 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i just came back from coffee shop i heard taxi drivers cursing at govt. step down lah where got face now.
(#46) ReapWhatYouSow Yesterday, 03:22 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drive Raymond, drive.
Not your Lexus.
(#47) cc1034 Yesterday, 03:49 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think our TM Mr R Lim needs to verify his report and clarify in Parliamant what he has presented as it is very contradicting to many ground feedback and reporting by ST with cab drivers and commuters.
Our TM being a Minister has all the power to demand and get all the facts and reports from ALL the Taxi Operators and not just by ComfortDelgro.
He should analysis and verify the report first ( using his own resources) before replying to questions in Parliament. If what was reported is false or 'make to look good', then some top heads should roll. Anyway, our TM do not has the charisma of a leader!!!
(#48) lobo_respawned Yesterday, 04:24 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
is he a WO minister? i.e WO=walkover
(#49) alphaoasis Yesterday, 04:27 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#43 - by IRAS, they will mark you and then do an audit on your tax payments. gahmen very well known for pulling off such a stunt.. sneaky fellas out to get u from the inside...
(#50) lobo_respawned Yesterday, 05:01 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#43,#49They probably just noted where we lived, so that when they redraw the boundaries for the next GRC election, we ended up becoming a walkover estate or is mixed with enough 66.6% so to make it a sure-win for you-know-who.
(#51) chiabb.2 Yesterday, 05:05 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heard this on radio this morning: "Do not steal....Governments do not like competition."
(#52) lobo_respawned Yesterday, 05:22 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#51 who said that on radio? The DJ?
(#53) wiheefee Yesterday, 05:55 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr Lim...! Drivers earning 318 bucks a day after u launch your dont know what carp master plan? Who are you trying to buff? Your boss? You better make sure he dont read this report on the paper. He will either die laughing or screw you up-side-down.(Polytechnics will start a new course for those who wanna become Taxi Drivers. 1yr course + guarantee good income by
Transport Minister)You failed...!
(#54) chiabb.2 Yesterday, 09:11 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#52 Flying Dutchman himself!
(#55) chiabb.2 Yesterday, 09:12 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#54 Actually he was quoting from an 'authoritative source' - a bumper sticker! ;D
(#56) ronintan Yesterday, 09:13 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't believe it!!This minister trusts the salary survey of taxi drivers done by taxi companies!!!Isn't that an obvious conflict of interest issue here???
(#57) donkuok Yesterday, 09:37 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He just want to meet his ministry target and wash his hands after this. He can switch from negative result to positive result without proof. This is the way govt works. Things still not transparent.Primarily school student also can judge that the waiting time has been shorten due to over supply and less demand. Can imagine he can't do maths as good as the primarily student.
(#58) Prokinetic Yesterday, 11:11 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#56
You hit the nail on the head! Anyone else would immediately see the direct conflict of interest but not our dear transport minister. Incredible but true!
My opinion of Raymond Lim has gone down the tubes......
And to imagine last week in the newspapers he was quoted as saying 'People come first.' when commenting on the review of the public transportation.
Sure people come first.. i just wonder which people he's referring to....
(#59) chengdaniel Today, 12:22 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our transport minister get the figure from ComfortDelGro u kmow! so don play play ar ! How ComfortDelGro derives the figure har ? Our ministers seems to get the notions wrong totally abt what is happening. The last couple of days abt medical health and investment on UBS, Citi, M.L Did u actually read the article abt what they said. Beating about the bushes and twisting & turning trying to make the publics know what is best for them but i personally tinks that more agenda than just the surface as it is rite now. I just hoped that more capable oppositions parties will be in the next election. U know what i mean hor......
(#60) preciousspring Today, 01:30 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Has Transport Minister Raymond Lim been taken for a ride in Comfort? : http://www.findsingapore.net/forum/v...?p=95040#95040
The taxi problem is temporarily "solved" for the time being:
(1) By reducing demand drastically. Many people are exasperated by the arbitrary, unjustified, unreasonable hefty fare hike.
(2) With the sudden drastic reduce in demand, ComfortDelgro has created a temporary excess of taxis. With this excess, taxi commuters need not phone for taxis as they could be easily flagged-down on the roads or could be found in the taxi stands. So overnight, taxi drivers are desperately looking for taxi commuters, instead of hiding from them or refusing to pick them up since there is few call booking fees to wait for.
(3) Soon the gap between taxi demand and supply will close, as transport is an essential service, people eventually have to carry on with their lives after the anger cools down. Many others would be driven back to take taxis by the jam-packed MRT and buses, by sharp increase in commuting time or by their inability to push and shove for a place in the MRT or bus, like pregnant women. (See post #11 eve333sg http://comment.straitstimes.com/show...?t=8861&page=2 )
Moreover, taxi drivers who could not survive the lean period (the "marginal taxi drivers") because they got families to feed or cannot pay their vehicle rental who be forced to give up taxi driving, reducing the taxi supply on the roads.
With the recent arrogant behaviour of ComfortDelgro (Comfort, CityCab and Yellow Top Comfort taxis), many people are now aware that it is important that the small taxi companies must be helped to survive or even to grow, whenever possible, especially when making a call booking:
Prime Tel. 6778 0808
Premier Tel. 6363 6888
Smart Tel. 6485 7777
Trans-Cab Tel. 6555 3333
SMRT Tel. 6555 8888
*
(#61) ReapWhatYouSow Today, 04:50 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond said so. No weight.Need MM to say so. Need PM to say so.
(#62) Prokinetic Today, 08:22 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn't watch the parliament session. Was it broadcast?
I wonder how the MPs and backbenchers can take Raymon Lim's data and 'facts' without asking any questions.. if so, it just shows what a lame-duck parliament we have. A total waste of time. Its obvious the figures presented are biased and do not reflect reality.
So we know now how easily parliament can be fooled also.. a house full of yes men?
(#63) lobo_respawned Today, 08:58 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am actually reminded of our Education minister (I think it was) who also used a wrong figure because his cronies provided it to him. He, of course, used it without studying the figure too much.
(#64) newcastle Today, 09:08 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can't IRAS confirm average income for the work group "taxi drivers"? Seems logical to me that this where any "correct" information should come from.
(#65) chiabb.2 Today, 10:27 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#62 'yes' men & women....and an opposition beaten into silence. Life's a stage, & all the men & women are actors. ;D
(#66) preciousspring Today, 10:32 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#62 Prokinetic
A very good morning to you.
There is very little time to debate many issues seriously and in depth in Parliament. The debate on the massive and far-reaching amendments to the Penal Code last year where the debate is centred on 1 issue (S377A) is a very good example.
#64 newcastle
You have asked a very interesting question. Why the Transport Minister did not double his figures with the Finance Minister since parliamentary credibility may be at stake?
(#67) preciousspring Today, 10:37 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
"Mr Lim also allayed Ms Ng's fears, saying that the extra surcharges for cabs plying the city areas would not pinch the supply in the suburbs."
In that case, will the Minister say from where he expects the additional taxis induced by extra surcharges to go to the city areas to come?
http://www.findsingapore.net/forum/v...?p=93792#93792
"(10) Like the ERP, surcharges do not solve problems on the whole.
For a surcharge to be effective, it has to be high enough to attract taxis from other areas. They simply transfer the taxi shortage to other places, just like “digging one hole to cover anotherâ€. Additional taxis are simply required for areas where they are not enough.
When taxi drivers prefer to hide from passengers or to cruise around empty waiting for booking calls or for a surcharge to be imposed instead of going to the areas where they are needed, it is a clear symptom of a seriously malfunctioned taxi service"
(#68) simpooahder Today, 01:35 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I ever asked a garment scholar how to solve the traffic problem years ago. He simply told me 'HIT THE POCKET'. Everybody also knows.
And if taxi drivers have really such a hard life, go become a bus driver or security guard, which are always in demand.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Monday, 21 January 2008
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Taxi problem the result of 3 deadly sins
Singaporeans have been grumbling about the taxi situation for years. At certain times, it is almost impossible to get a taxi, not even through radio booking. Queues at designated taxi stands are long; waits of 45 minutes are not unusual.
Yet, the government says Singapore actually has one of the highest numbers of taxis per capita.
It's true that at certain places, there is no shortage of taxis. The airport, for example, often has taxis waiting an hour or more to get to the front of the queue. Why don't the drivers mind the long wait? They are probably attracted by the $5 surcharge they can add to the fare for any trips originating from the airport.
That's just one of the many surcharges authorised in Singapore. In fact, surcharges have multiplied over the years until they are now confusing to commuters and a source of misunderstanding at the point of payment.
On the other hand, drivers perennially complain that they don't earn much at all, and have to drive long hours to make a decent living.
* * * * *
Taxi stand at Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road. There were 30 - 40 people in the queue at 5 pm, and taxis were coming in about one or two a minute.
The more I think about it, the more I believe the taxi problem reflects 3 of the biggest ills of Singapore:
Elitism
Over-regulation
Protection of government-linked companies
I suspect it's been hard for the government to solve the taxi problem precisely because the problem has grown out of their own worst instincts.
In this essay, I hope to show you how it is derived from these three bad habits, but I will first make reference to an article by Han Songguang, published in the Straits Times, 21 Nov 2007. See Higher flag-down the fare way to go. Han is a researcher in the Geography Department of the National University of Singapore.
In his article, he pointed out these particular issues:
Supply and demand mismatch – while overall we seem to have a good supply of taxis, supply/demand mismatches occur at different periods of the day. This is exacerbated by the unidirectional nature of peak demand
Convoluted fare system – misallocates resources rather than address localised shortages. To imagine that central planners can fine tune a system of surcharges to balance demand and supply in a highly dynamic flux is unrealistic. For every problem we solve with a surcharge, we create a new one elsewhere.
Taxi drivers bear all the risk – of not enough passengers, falling ill and not being able to work, traffic accidents and being without a vehicle for the period it is in the workshop, etc.
Public expectations – Singaporeans see taxis as a form of public transport, when in fact it is a private chauffeur service. The reason people see it this way is that it is too cheap. A group of 3 or 4 persons sharing a cab may end up paying less per head than if they took buses or trains.
Han's recommendation is to raise taxi fares sharply. "I envision a fare structure at double the prevailing levels for there to be any real impact," he wrote.
In principle, I agree with him. Eventually, Singapore needs to have taxi fares much higher than they are now, and closer to the fares one would find in cities with similar GDP per capita. But like him, I also think it cannot be implemented without a major overhaul of many other related issues. Each of these issues spring from one or more of the three governmental ills.
Infrastucture underprovision
Currently, people rely on taxis because buses and trains either don't go where they want to go, or they are way too crowded. As Han pointed out, "Singapore has always had a policy of 'infrastructure overprovision'. Infrastructure is built way ahead of actual demand (think Changi Airport) to prevent undercapacity and overcrowding", but not with public transport. In the latter case, there is a severe reluctance to provide ahead of demand; with profitability cited as a necessary condition before new services are added.
What we therefore have is a, perhaps unconscious, policy of underprovision, in order to assure SBS-Transit and SMRT, the two bus and train companies, their profits. This shows up in constant "streamlining" of bus routes, long wait times at bus stops and sardines-packed trains and buses.
Why does the government over-provide some kinds of infrastructure and under-provide public transport? I will put it down to elitism. Infrastructure that serves the elite (e.g. air travel, expressways) are seen as more justifiable and urgent than infrastructure that serves the ordinary people.
I have argued before that for a city of our size, we do not have a dense enough rail network. As for buses, our public transport regulator seems very lax about insisting on better network coverage routes-wise, and higher bus frequencies. We don't even have a night bus service except a rudimentary one on Fridays and Saturdays. The regulator also seems dismissive of new competitors entering the market, as if its chief remit is to protect the incumbents.
One has to wonder if this is related to the fact that the incumbent transport operators, SBS-Transit and SMRT, are government-linked companies.
Supply guided by price, not by customer demand
As infrastructure lags, the unserved demand migrates to taxis, and horrendous queues build up at certain times of day. To address these localised problems, a host of localised surcharges have sprung up, but all they do is distort the market.
Over-regulation is a symptom of a mindset that believes that the boss or bureaucrat knows best. However, the commanded solution only appears to be a solution to the desk-bound planner, because the main problem is measured and one can therefore show the fix to be working. What planners seldom anticipate and even less likely measure are the side effects. Since they're not measured, they're not seen from the desk. But everybody else on the roads can see all the nasty side effects.
So a surcharge can direct taxis to a location where there used to be a shortage, but in so doing, creates a new, artificial shortage somewhere else, which isn't measured. Nor are price bewilderment, and driver-passenger conflicts measured. Unscrupulous drivers take advantage of the confusion to add surcharges at will and Singapore as a whole gets a bad name for cheating.
We should simply clean up the fare structure, raise it overall and use more information technology (IT) to tell drivers where demand is building up.
Radio bookings is a form of IT, but also, perhaps we can design a way to measure length of queues at various taxi-stands. When this information is displayed on monitors in taxis that are in the vicinity, drivers will naturally head towards the taxi stand for the next fare.
A taxi stand doesn't even need to be a taxi stand, at least not in the physical form we are used to. All major buildings, including condominiums, can install a taxi call point. From an IT perspective, a call point is indistinguishable from a taxi stand, and calls from such call points can show up on nearby taxis' monitors.
In other words, let the customers, not the surcharges, guide the taxis to where they are needed.
Main taxi company too protected
To begin with, our so-called taxi companies are in reality vehicle hire companies. They let out a vehicle to a driver at a fixed daily rate, typically $90 a day, and he is then left on his own to recoup the cost and earn something for himself.
It doesn't matter to the taxi companies if the hirer, i.e. the taxi driver, spends much of the day waiting at the airport or drinking coffee at a corner shop waiting for midnight when the bus services cease. Revenue-wise, the taxi-company gets the same amount, approximately $90 a day, even if commuters in various parts of town are fuming.
It doesn't matter if, regardless of how hardworking a driver is, he can't make enough money. As far as the taxi company is concerned, they still get their $90 a day.
Yet, it is the taxi company that sets fares, and one suspects that fares are set at a level that is politically acceptable, since the dominant taxi company and price setter, Comfort-Citycab, is a government-linked company. That being the case, it should not surprise us if drivers are squeezed between fixed hire rates and fixed, relatively low fares.
It would seem fairer to have a different system: the hirer pays a low basic hire fee, with the earnings split by percentage between the hirer and the taxi company.
That however, means that taxi companies' profitability won't be so stable anymore. Once again, one can't help but wonder if the fact that Comfort-Citycab is another government-linked company makes such a change unthinkable?
* * * * *
Basically the taxi problem is not a taxi problem. The need is transport – ready, quick, efficient, reasonably comfortable transport. Elitism in setting priorities may be causing an underprovision of public transport, resulting in spillover to taxis.
Taxi fares are kept relatively low to be politically palatable, but taxi hire companies (of which the dominant one is government-linked) operate a fixed rate system, which makes profitability easier to ensure. The taxi-driver ends up as the one bearing most of the risk in the business.
Surcharges cause as many problems as they solve, but we resort to them out of habit. We seldom stop and ask if we are over-regulating. Over-regulation is so common an affliction in Singapore, we don't see it even if it's right before our eyes.
© Yawning Bread
I love cab drivers!:)
I love cab drivers! :)
http://violetlim.com/2007/11/22/i-love-cab-drivers/
November 22nd, 2007 by Violet
http://violetlim.com/2007/11/22/i-love-cab-drivers/
November 22nd, 2007 by Violet
Have been reading a lot about errant taxi drivers in the Singapore newspapers in the last week or so… I think there must be some pretty dodgy taxi drivers out there… especially in my home country Malaysia… but I thought with all the bad press about taxi drivers, it warrants a writeup about 2 extremely nice taxi drivers that I have met… :)
Taxi Uncle #1
Brought my babe to United Square for his playgroup. When we were done, it was raining, and we hailed a cab. Told uncle that I lived quite nearby actually. Uncle said, “Don’t worry, near then near lo… money also ma…” When we reached home, uncle took the effort to reverse into the shelter. “Slowly, slowly, take your time. Money is yours then yours. Don’t worry!” “Check that you have everything hor! Don’t hurry!”
In my hurry, fumbling with the umbrella etc., I forgot to check thoroughly before I left the cab… and sure enough, I realised later that I have misplaced one of babe’s shoes! And it’s not any shoe… it’s the Osh Kosh shoes that his gong-gong and po-po bought him which cost $39…! (I would have never bought him such expensive shoes…, anyway…) Made a report to Lost & Found, but did not have high hopes.
Later in the night, found out from the domestic helper that Uncle actually came back and return babe’s shoes at about 5.30pm. I figured that he was changing shifts then. And he actually bothered to come back to return a shoe… I mean… wow! I am truly grateful to the uncle!
So, babe is back to wearing his Osh Kosh shoes again… hehe! :)
Taxi Uncle #2
After a long weekend, I took the cab to work. Was having a chat with the uncle about his work, his family etc. Very impressive, all his kids are graduates. And he was sharing with me his work motto etc.
As we approach the destination, I realised… oops! I did not have enough cash in my wallet… spent all my cash over the weekend, and did not have an opportunity to withdraw money from the ATM.
Then I said, “Oh no uncle… I do not have enough money to pay you… I give you everything that I have ok?” Then he said, “Aiyah, it’s ok. Money is not everything. You just give me whatever you have lo.” I think I paid him almost $2 short. Considering the cab fare was $7, that’s close to 30% of the fare…
So nice of him right? Did not grumble or complain or scold me. :) Lesson learnt… must check my wallet before I leave the house. :)
So, even though there are many errant cab drivers out there, there are many that are very nice too! :)
What about you? Do you have any stories of your encounters with cab drivers to share? :)
Friday, 18 January 2008
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Taxi fares
http://www.p65.sg/2007/12/26/taxi-fares/
Taxi fares
December 26th, 2007Last Saturday, I was invited on the panel of the Channel U talk show “Shoot 3″ to discuss the recent hike in taxi fares. The same topic was also raised during my bimonthly chat session with residents that same afternoon.
A taxi driver on the panel lamented that disesel prices have gone up significantly and their income has dwindled. The increase in flag-down fare and per unit distance/waiting time charges is hence meant to increase the takings of taxi drivers in order to meet their higher operating costs. While some passengers may stop taking cabs in the initial period, the income of drivers is likely to be higher at steady state so that their livelihood is not at stake.
As for the peak hour surcharge change, it is meant to address the problem faced by passengers who find it difficult to get a cab during peak hours when demand far exceeds supply. Hopefully, this will encourage people who do not really need to travel by cab and those who do not wish to pay the extra dollars to turn to alternative transport.
The contention is whether the two issues need to be tackled at the same time as this is double whammy to the rising costs of living we are experiencing now.
To me, the first issue should be looked into now. There are many people working as taxi drivers, and if their livelihood is drastically affected, it will lead to other problems. It is the duty of the taxi company to look after the interests of the drivers. I think in general, we can assume that regular taxi passengers are better off than taxi drivers in terms of financial resources, and taxi should be the most expensive form of public transport.
So could the taxi company choose to delay the peak hour surcharge change to say, six months later? This might lead to other complaints that there are too many fare hikes in such a short period.
I have two questions:
Will the taxi company increase the taxi rentals? I hope not as this will negate the extra income that drivers are getting to pay for the diesel. The corporation will hence be accused of pocketing profits at the expense of drivers and passengers.
If the diesel prices come down in future, will the fares be adjusted downwards accordingly?
Posted by Baey Yam Keng |
23 Responses to “Taxi fares”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
December 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
i wish there is more depth in the writings on this blog.
why repeat what everybody else knows and have been hearing and reading the past weeks?
we’re not stupid, we can read, and we can understand english
many times, the only occasion of depth are the postings of all your individual speeches in parliament, and that’s only as far as length goes
most of the stuff expressed on this blog is so shallow i’m quite embarrassed to know it’s representative work of our future government
Yam Keng: Hi AO, thank you for your feedback. Certainly I am not an expert in public transport, or for that matter, the taxi industry, to offer any in-depth analysis or suggestions. I form my opinions from what I read, see and observe. By posting this blog, I hope to interest some readers to add their views to the discussion so that we can all understand this topic better.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
When oil prices increase, taxi companies increase the charges to offset the cost but when oil prices fall back to normal levels, would taxi companies reduce the charges to reflect the changes in a similar manner? I have not recalled any such instance.
If the real reason for the hike is due to the rising cost of diesel fuel, and the increase in fuel cost is perceived to be temporary, could the taxi company consider some temporary surcharge, such as a flat one dollar for any fare less than ten dollars and two dollars for fare above ten dollars? When the oil prices fall back to normal levels, it would be easier for the taxi companies to remove the surcharge. This would be similar to airlines which do not wire the temporary increase in cost due to fuel into the air ticket.
Yam Keng: Yes, Tang. I think that is a great idea.
December 29th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Quote
“If the diesel prices come down in future, will the fares be adjusted downwards accordingly?”
Unquote
I’m glad that you pondered about this question, Mr Baey. May I propose that we also pose this question to all the hikes that took place and are going to happen. In times of good economic conditions, inflation takes place and prices go up. However, in times of economic recession and hard times, should the prices come down correspondingly? If I am not wrong, it has never happened before; the inflated prices stayed. Hence, shouldn’t the same principle apply?
Yam Keng: Yes, Keith, I certainly agree. If prices are tied to a parameter, they should fluctuate both ways when the parameter changes. For example, electricity prices and ERP charges (for some gantries) have come down before when oil prices and traffic volume decreased. Unfortunately, I don’t think it is such a simple straight forward formula during price determination. Usually many other factors are at play. I sincerely hope these companies and authorities have the integrity to be responsible to charge fairly and reasonably. Hence, we have bodies like the Public Transport Council to assess and approve any public transport fare revisions.
However, I don’t really agree with your point that in times of economic recession and hard times, prices should come down correspondingly. For example, an economic crisis could also be caused by crude oil shortage and soaring oil prices, should the taxi company cut taxi fares and make it difficult for taxi drivers to make a decent living? During such times, the government can of course play a part to help those who have fallen into hard times.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:24 am
I really hope the taxi companies will adjust the fare downwards as and when the oil prices decreases. However, comparing such increases in the past with this increase, chances of any downward adjustment of taxi fares does not look good. And since buses also need diesel to run, the questions now would be:-
1. when will the bus companies increase their bus fare?
2. when will the taxi companies increase their rental of taxi fees too?
SP Services will be increasing their fees from Jan 2008 onward, will the one-off utilities rebate in Jan 08 by the govt be enough to help the needy….and perhaps even the middle income?
December 29th, 2007 at 7:58 am
I have an excellent idea to help alleviate this problem.
Why don’t the MPs donate their excess income to help offset some of the problems? Surely you don’t need excess of a million dollars a year to survive. By donating the excess income, MPs can:
1) Secure votes for the next election by showing that they genuinely care for the electorate and that they words are not just lip-service;
2) Help prevent social problems that are caused by taxi drivers that are desperate for more income.
We can also ask high-income earners in the private sector to donate too. But MPs need to lead by example.
Also, another way is to source for foreign talents that can be MPs. There are indeed a lot of extremely intelligent and capable people in countries like the United States who wish to run in Singapore due to the high pay (American statesmen even said that they are “shocked” by the Singapore ministers’ pay during the last round of increases). These foreigners are just as capable, or if not more capable than the incumbents. I’m sure they won’t mind taking up honourary citizenship in order to run. By attracting foreign talent, we can lower the overall cost of hiring MPs and divert the funds to people who are really in need.
Yam Keng: Certainly, those who are able should help those who less fortunate, and that should include MPs. PM himself has devoted his increments to charity and he also made a point that he doesn’t want MPs to follow suit by making public display of their philantrophy. To my knowledge, most MPs do donate to their constituency welfare funds and other causes that they support. Whether this needs to be made public knowledge should be left to the individual.
I do not want to go into the discussion on the pay of Ministers and MPs but just want to make a quick comment on getting foreign talent as MPs. We do have politicians who are not born in Singapore, eg Minister Khaw Boon Wan, but they have lived many years in Singapore and have become Singapore citizens. I believe most, if not all countries, would have a requirement that only their citizens can run for elections (even Arnie was already a US citizen before he could run to be a mayor). To be a good MP, I think we need to be well exposed to all segments of the Singapore society so that we are able to form well-rounded opinions and make differences to improve the lives of Singaporeans. Even as a Singaporean myself, I still need to learn more beyond my own circle of life. I would doubt very much, the ability of an imported foreign talent who has not grown up and lived in Singapore, and familar with the Singapore system, to understand the concerns of Singaporeans well.
December 29th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I think all past and present transport ministers should step down for failing to solve the taxi problem that has festered for more than 10 years. They want to earn top dollar, so they must be accountable like any private sector executive!!
Yam Keng: There must be accountability for what and how we pay public servants, but I don’t think our taxi problem is that bad. It just constantly needs fine-tuning faced on changing conditions. I was in KL recently and learned that most taxi-drivers there do not go by the meter. According to one I spoke to, he says he used to earn about RM100 plus a day after paying rental and diesel if he goes by the meter, but now he can easily earn RM200-300 a day. And they do not have the practice of two drivers sharing the same vehicle. On the other hand, I believe taxi drivers in Singapore earn a net daily income of about $100 on the average. If we assume the purchasing power of RM1 in KL is the same as S$1 in Singapore, then our taxi drivers are getting significantly less than their counterparts in KL. But we do not have to live with price haggling and can travel with the ease that we just pay according to the meter price. I think in this respect, our authorities should be given some credit.
December 29th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
If HK, Taipei and even Beijing can have such excellent taxi service, I fail to see why S’pore can’t. Don’t even try to compare taxi fares with HK because HK’s salary levels are at least 30% higher than in S’pore.
December 29th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Dear MP Yam Keng;
I am baffled by one of your question on whether the taxi companies will increase the rental charges after the fare adjustments upward and You seemed to answer yourself with the wish that it would not.
It is widely believed that one of the best solution to help cabbies to have slightly better incomes was to lower the rentals and adjustments to ERP charges and diesel tax as taxis are ‘public transports’.
Your question seems to indicate that further increase(s) in taxi rentals may still be justified although You wish it may not happen. Have I misinterpret your thinking Sir? I apologize sincerely if I have.
Yam Keng: I am just reflecting the wishes of taxi drivers as it seems like taxi companies tend to increase rentals after they raise the taxi fares. Although I would think they increase rentals because the operational costs of the companies have also gone up. I hope that whatever additional income taxi drivers manage to earn to pay for the higher diesel costs, does not all end up with the taxi companies.
December 31st, 2007 at 12:06 am
We cannot expect taxi fares to remain the same when standards of living have gone up and when the income of the average Singaporean or foreigner has increased. All thanks to the blooming economy….
I once took a cab from Kallang MRT station to a client place at Kallang Bahru. Guess what the cab driver told me? He said that he wouldn’t encourage me to take a cab if I am travelling to a more distant destination like Boon Lay as I have a much better alternative which is the MRT. I was amused by his concern and didn’t bother to stop him from rattling on. He commented that the taxi fare hike is to encourage people to take public transport instead of flagging for a cab when they do not really need it. I took a closer look at him and reckoned that he should either be a retiree or he doesn’t need his income to support his family. He further added that he is a regular at Changi Airport…now I know why he doesn’t really need my business afterall..hahahaha….Anyway issue aside, I told him that I can claim the taxi fare…
However, I totally agree with him. If you take a step back and think, how many occasions have you taken a cab which you really need it? Most of the time is for convenience right? I do have a few friends who are so used to taking cabs to ferry them to work and other venues that I once jokingly teased them that with their monthly income, they can well afford a car. A friend immediately defended herself by whining how expensive it is to maintain a car with the annual road tax, monthly season parking, petrol as well as insurance etc…she has done her calculations well and concluded that it is still much more cheaper to just flag for a cab….wahahaha…
She is absolutely right.
I myself am guilty of that. There were a few times when I conveniently took cab from Jurong point when I could have taken a bus back home in less than 10 minutes excluding waiting time. However with the cab fare hike now, I told myself I can’t be so pampered again. But if I were to be doing my groceries alone, I wouldnt of course torture myself….hahaha…
I guess it all boils down to the reason why we flag for a cab in the first place….if the passenger has a genuine need for a cab, I guess the hike in the cab fare would have little impact on her. But if for a passenger who is so pampered and needs to be ferried around, she might feel the squeeze and cut down on her cab rides…
January 1st, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Yam Keng,
1) It never fails to amuse me why ministers and MPs love to compare S’pore’s taxi problems with those of DEVELOPING countries. In reality, S’pore is a developed country, so please compare apple to apple. We might as well compare to taxis in Ethiopia and give ourselves a false sense of achievement!
2) The PM did not say “he doesn’t want MPs to follow suit”. What he said was he does not EXPECT MPs and ministers to follow suit. Frankly, many like are absolutely unconvinced of the need to pay our ministers and MP such high salaries. Even if MPs and ministers donate their salary (which I doubt many actually do in any meaningful way), they would benefit from double tax deduction to the remainder of their income. With such high “allowance”, MPs will sorely lack the moral authority to lead and to solve ordinary S’poreans’ financial woes. That’s because MPs are leading such luxurious life that they can no longer connect with the people.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:12 am
With regd to ministerial salaries I think we hv to c things in the right perspective, why shld a banker like tony tan sacrfice a million dollars career @ OCBC and came in to draw a third of his former salary, ask anyone would he do it, if nt why shld Dr Tan do so and yes indeed he had done so when approached by the PAP in the late 70s but can we assume tht the nxt tony tan will come in for cheap, if yes how many, I doubt there will be many. Yes a million dollars maybe an astronomical fig to most sporeans but we r running a country nt masak masak and if spore falls into wrong hands eg james gomez (liar) and chee (political gangster) all will be gone.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
easternwind,
How do you know tony tan earns $1m/year at OCBC back in the 1970s??? The crux of the matter is our ministers draw the HIGHEST salary compared to any minister on this planet!! So, it is not just ordinary S’poreans who think their salary is an astronomical figure.
Don’t forget the taxpayers funded pension that ministers and other senior civil servants enjoy (which can be up to $179,000/years from age 55 till death).
Of course we must pay ministers decent salaries, but do we want ministers who join purely for personal financial gains?? If our ministers demand top private sector salaries, then why can’t our NS boys’ pay be benchmarked to private sector pay as well. I’m sure there are many many talented S’pore boys serving NS at any point in time.
Ministers gain a lot from holding public office, their family members enjoy political connections that is essential for businesses. How do you impute such benefits in kind? The substantial benefits of political connections is a key reason why every country on this planet (except S’pore) see no need to pay their ministers sky-high salary.
What’s wrong with having james gomez in govt. Is it becos of all the propaganda you have heard from the local press about him??
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Dear MP Baey;
Can I ask for your opinion on the Issue(taxi fare adjustments) in your position as a Member of Parliament or from the angle of a non taxi drivers’ position, maybe that of a commuter or just any layman.
Please do oblige, thank You sir!
Yam Keng:A commuter would definitely want prices to be as low as possible and hence naturally would not welcome any fare increase. But I have to recognise that a taxi does bring about the convenience, speed, comfort and exclusivity that other modes of public transport (bus, MRT) cannot provide. So I would expect to pay different prices for different levels of travel quality. If the fare increase, in particular during peak hours, would make it much easier for me to get a cab during that period, I should be be happy to pay the extra. Otherwise, I will choose cheaper options and take the bus or MRT.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Tony Tan is just answering to his PAPA’s call….Can he decline the offer? Of course not….He won’t becos it’s better a minister with all the perks than to be a nobody in a local bank…..
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Geez Easternwind, can’t you see? Because it’s all planned out that they will be getting more as a politician than when they are as a banker in the long term.
Sheesh. The brutal truth is that there ARE some good politicians in it for the country and citizens sake. But for a politician to be the highest paid in the world of a country with a GDP so much less than US, Australia, even Spain, I am left speechless.
Anyway, this is about taxi fares, not salaries of politicians. So let’s move on.
Again the brutal truth? The taxi fares increase is for the stake holders. Bottom-line dollar and profits are always the focal points. And I am certain taxis are no longer part of the public transport category. None of the websites (PTC, Comfort Delgro, NTUC Comfort, SMRT, etc) have listed taxis as a public transport.
But everyone knows SBS buses and MRT trains are public transportations. If they are public, why are they earning profits in millions? I repeat MILLIONS. So why have fare hikes? Should not the earnings be channeled back to the public to offset the likes of diesel, petrol prices and also to keep fares affordable?
From SBS Transit corporate profile:
“SBS Transit aims to provide world-class public transport which is safe, comfortable, affordable, reliable and friendly.”
From SMRT:
“SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is Singapore’s premier multi-modal public transport service provider offering integrated transport services island-wide. ”
See the “public transport” word? It means to serve the public, not earn profits of millions. Also MPs are called public servants. Not earn millions out of them. Sorry I have digressed.
And what is the actual role of a transport minister (no disrespect here) when he cannot keep the fares affordable, lessen the jams and frustrations of motorists? C’mon, increasing road tax and having more ERPs gantries are not going to reduce the jams. No need to have a PHD to analyze it.
Read Minstry of Transport statement:
“The main focus of the ministry is to bring about efficient and cost-effective transportation to enhance our economic competitiveness and quality of life. It strives to make Singapore an international civil aviation and maritime centre for the region.”
If our public transport is very affordable, why would anyone need a car? If less cars, less jams, isn’t it?
And also Minister Raymond Lim’s transcript:
“Public Consultation, ERP and the Human Dimension
Q: What is the role that public consultation has played in transport planning? Do you take into account the human dimension?
Minister Lim: It is useful to explain the interplay between public consultation, the human dimension and transport policies. There is a view that transport issues are complex issues, technical in nature and so, it is better to leave them to the experts and not get the public involved. This view is misconceived and it is wrong.
Yes, transport issues are complex and technical in nature. But you need to get the public involved because transport impacts on their lives everyday. So we must engage the public. The human dimension is what informs our transport policies.
Q: How do you deal with tough policies like the ERP or inconvenience caused such as by the construction of the KPE?
Minister Lim: I think it is useful to engage the public on difficult issues, be it tough policies like the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) or the inconvenience caused by the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) construction. It is useful because by engaging them you give the public a better understanding of the wider issues involved, which go beyond their personal interests. And at the same time, it allows the policymakers, by engaging the public, to have a better understanding of their concerns. So you create a two-way process.
”
Again where is the public engagement or discussion?
I’ll make it simple for all to understand:
Taxi companies want more profit => Rentals hikes => Off set by fares increase. Cost transferred to commuters. => Less commuters taking taxi, more take buses and trains, or purchase cars. => Increase bus, train fares. More ERP, road tax. => SBS, SMRT profits higher. More hikes. => More consider taxis. => More use taxis. => More profits for taxi companies. => Rental hikes…
Happy New Year,
Kaffein
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Well, only Tony Tan himself knows the reason why he “sacrificed a million dollars career @ OCBC”, if indeed made a financial sacrifice at all, to become a cabinet minister. But we do know why he resigned his office, after he witnessed the slapping incident. And he came back to office only after being persuaded by Goh Chok Tong, after the fellow was diagnosed with cancer. Point is, do we a have a government with the heart to look after the interests of the populace, or do we have a gang of mercenaries with their eyes on their bank account only?
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Apologies for detracting from the main topic…
Easternwind :
How many ministers in our cabinet now are former bankers with the ability to command millions in the private sector? Should we benchmark all our ministers by the highest wage earner to ever join then?
Let us look at some examples of ministers that joined the private sector :
Yeo Cheow Tong joined Lippo, an Indonesian company as an associate director - do you think that that job will pay him more than a million annually?
Dr Seet Ai Mee is with Courts (Singapore) Limited as a non-executive director. Do you think that she is being paid millions?
Historically, most of our minister’s end up in government linked companies instead - it would not to overly speculative to think that there might be a scarcity of high paying position in top global companies awaiting our ministers in the private sector.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The PM cited Cedric Foo as an example of a past minister that can earn “more” in private sector. Hmm….who hired Cedric Foo??
Answer: JTC. Can JTC be considered private sector???
Also, what happened to past minister, David Lim?? Is he earning big bucks in private sector (excluding GLCs, of course) now?? I doubt so, otherwise our PM will cite him as an example.
Yam Keng: I prefer not to digress in this posting, but since one comment led to another…
Cedric Foo is Group Deputy Chairman at NOL. As far as I know, the Chairman of JTC is not executive and is also not paid, just like the other board chairmen and members of most statutory boards. It is national service for them.
Personally, I don’t think all Ministers (or Permanent Secretaries) will be great CEOs in pte sector, nor will every CEO become a good Minister. Public service and private sector require different skills, although there are certainly some common attributes between them. We have seen successful examples moving either ways, eg Lim Kim San, Tony Tan, Dhanabalan, Ng Eng Hen, Gan Kim Yong, Grace Fu.
The point is that when there is a potential good Minister currently in the private sector, should we expect the person to accept a huge pay cut to join politics? I am sure some people will, but this consideration will be a stumbling block to some. There could be very valid reasons, like a house mortgage, family commitments. I know of top lawyers who can earn more than a Minister’s annual pay just by winning a case - do we see many lawyers in the Cabinet?
The Ministerial pay adjustment is to narrow the gap so that it doesn’t become too big a factor when PM needs to persuade people to forgo his career to be a Cabinet member. For some people, it may be a point of no return after leaving an industry or profession for some years.
Short of paying every Minister based on his last drawn pay in the pte sector, the system has to be one that can be applied to all cases (albeit there is still a range of different grades and pay). Hence, I do believe while some Ministers may be suffering a pay cut, there may be some who do not get as much if they had stayed in their previous career.
January 5th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
“The Ministerial pay adjustment is to narrow the gap so that it doesn’t become too big a factor when PM needs to persuade people to forgo his career to be a Cabinet member.”
This is a very lame excuse that’s been repeated so many times that people are sick of it. You can use that line on school children but please, you’re insulting our intelligence when you try using it on us.
Obviously, the notion of “moral authority to lead” is not something that you understand.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Yam Keng,
I am happy that at long last, a PAP MP is willing to admit that some ministers might not be paid as much if they had stayed in the private sector. As for Cedric Foo, I very much doubt chairman of JTC is not paid. If he really wants to do “national service”, why not stayed as minister? Also, NOL could hardly be considered a private sector company because Temasek still owns significant shareholding in this company and controls the Board. It is because this company is a GLCs that our former PM and David Lim were assigned CEO roles there.
Let me ask a question: what are the qualities that make one a “good” minister? Do we want individuals whose focus is financial gains to be a minister handling sensitive state secrets during the course of his/her work? What if, for some reason, the country had to lower his/her salary for a period of time. Will that person sell this country for personal financial gains?
You mentioned lawyers. Do we need to have “many lawyers in the cabinet”?
If ALL countries on this planet can have quality individuals willing to serve their nations not because of financial gains……why can’t S’pore? The govt loves to benchmark ourselves to the world (and claims to be No.1 in thisi and that), but when it comes to ministerial salary, it does the complete opposite.
Additionally, are ministers really accountable for their individual performance?? They demand top private sector pay, so naturally they should also be subject to harsh private sector evaluation. I can’t think of any minister who was asked to leave because he/she was not up to par. Instead, the modus operandi is to keep non-performing ministers on the payroll, continuing drawing top private sectot pay.
A person can be a top earner in the private sector this year, but could be a bankrupt or unemployed the next. Pegging ministerial salary ONLY to the top private sector earners leads to survivorship bias….i.e. our ministers will NOT be exposed to the risks of private sector employment. During the debate on ministerial salary, Minister Teo said that the retention rate amongst the top private sector earners is about 50%…..he called this “good”. 50%!!! It means that 5 out of 10 top private sector earners will not be the top earner the following year!! That can hardly be considered “good”.
What about the benefits of power and status that comes with being a minister? That is precisely the reason why all countries (apart from S’pore) see no need to pay their ministers sky high salaries.
Yam Keng: I am actually quite sure that JTC board members are not paid, but that is beside the point. Many other people are invited to serve on boards because they can bring value to the company, and that includes MPs. For that matter, I know that Ministers are not allowed to serve on any company board. The only exception is GIC.
According to its website, NOL only has one Temasek representative on its board. The majority are in fact, non-Singaporeans. Of course, I am quite sure NOL’s board directors are paid directors’ fees. And just to set the record right, SM Goh was already MD of NOL (since 1973) before he joined politics in 1976.
I understand that there is a very stringent selection process for Cabinet members (even to be fielded as an election candidate, I already had to go through four rounds of interviews) to be sure of their character. I agree that Ministers are in positions of authority and there are many opportunities to profit from that if one is not righteous. Anyway, our system is so strict that anyone caught corrupt will not be able to get away.
My comment regarding lawyers is in the context that top lawyers (one component in the salary benchmark) do make a lot of money and they would take a huge pay cut to be a Minister (even with the revised salaries), hence maybe that is the reason not many lawyers are in the Cabinet (vs doctors, surgeons, civil servants). Or maybe it is just be a coincidence?
I wouldn’t agree that all country leaders in the world are quality leaders. Many of them are already millionaires before they enter politics. One reason could be high costs of election campaign (like in the US). Or they could already be so rich that the low pay of politicians does not bother them. They could be doing it because of the status and power (as you mentioned it). Of course, I am sure many make the commitment in order to serve their country.
I do not agree that Ministers are guaranteed an iron rice bowl. There are Ministers who step down before retirement and some who just serve one term. Some switch to the private sector and some are not necessarily doing very well. Politics can be quite cruel.
January 12th, 2008 at 7:43 am
The government has to regulate some exceptions to the current taxi fares for those commuters who can’t use other public transport……eg. elderly who can’t take the public transport….
Yam Keng: I agree it is one way to mandate concessionary travel for certain groups of people. For example, I think the MRT and bus companies should be required, as part of their operating licences, to offer concessionary fares for senior citizens all day long, and not leave it to these companies which currently only offer it after 9am. In fact, at the next Parliamentary sitting later this month, I will be asking Ministry of Transport if they will be reviewing the policy of deregulated taxi fares.
Another way is to offer help through other means, eg I know the Central Singapore CDC has a scheme to subsidise the transport fees of needy senior citizens who need to travel to day care centres.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:12 am
“In fact, at the next Parliamentary sitting later this month, I will be asking Ministry of Transport if they will be reviewing the policy of deregulated taxi fares.”
That is good news, thank you on behalf of all elderly and handicap persons.
You only have use the MRT and buses to realize how bad our public is at civil consciousness. Maybe, we need to make the first carriage of every MRT train a elderly/handicap/pregnant only carriage. t is sad that our public transport system is first class and our people are not.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Dear sir,
I want to say only rubbish. I dare to challenge against this regulation of increase the taxi fare. I have great personal experience and I only did the calculation out why it should not increase.
Ask ourselves, the reason for increase? And does it valid? My next question pose is how is the taxi company doing to help in coping with the problem? Or all the problems are shifted to the consumers?
I believe sir got my email address, if you really keen to know my pointers, feel free to drop me an email, so I can write more details for you. Bring up in the house, Challenge Mr Seng Han Thong, Challenge PAP, Not everything the government do must be all right. Why have a forum discussion over such matters then refuse to hear people’s voice and insist in increase the taxi fare?
I find it very annoyed.
Yam Keng: Thank you, Joe. I will email you separately.