Taxis & TDs in the news/stomp
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TC high excess...siao liao
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Motorists and passers-by rush to help elderly man trapped in overturned cab outside SAFRA Tampines
A group of motorists and passers-by worked together to free an elderly man trapped inside an overturned taxi outside SAFRA Tampines at 6.20pm yesterday (June 7).
The man was trapped inside after the taxi had overturned during an accident.
Despite heavy traffic flow at that time, the motorists and passers-by rushed to the overturned cab and pulled the man out.
They then set the elderly man down at a nearby grass patch and checked if he was ok.
Stomper Henry spotted the incident when he was passing by that area.
In response to Stomp's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at 6.20pm and dispatched one ambulance.
One male Chinese in his 70s was conveyed to Changi General Hospital.
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Haiz, many oldies still driving taxi
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Trans-Cab taxi catches fire at Moulmein Road, third case in three months
A Trans-Cab taxi caught fire along Moulmein Road near the slip road for the Central Expressway towards the Seletar Expressway on Wednesday afternoon (June 21) — the third such incident here involving the company in the last three months.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at about 2.45pm. A fire engine, a red rhino, and two fire bikes were dispatched to the location.
Footage posted on social media showed that the taxi was a Chevrolet model. According to Trans-Cab’s website, the only Chevrolet cab it has is the Chevrolet Epica, which runs on diesel.
The fire involved the engine compartment of the taxi, said SCDF. It was extinguished using one water jet.
There were no reported injuries in the incident. The SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.
On April 30, a Trans-Cab taxi caught fire and exploded near Buona Vista MRT station after being involved in an accident. Less than a month later, on May 22, another Trans-Cab taxi caught fire along Marymount Road near the junction of Sin Ming Avenue. In both these cases, the vehicle models are the Toyota Wish, which were powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Those two fires prompted the Land Transport Authority to order inspections of all CNG taxis and private vehicles.
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Nowaday, you talk to any fireman, he will tell you that they hate Red
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Pregnant woman give birth to baby on a taxi
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/znews/singapore/story20170623-773568
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Having my breakfast at Gek Poh Macdonald..free coffee
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ComfortDelGro dangles carrots to lure train, bus commuters to hop onto its cabs
ComfortDelGro Taxi, the Republic’s largest taxi operator, is dangling double the reward points to lure commuters to hop onto its cabs within 24 hours of alighting from a bus or train ride.
The points earned can be used to redeem a variety of rewards, including instant discounts for taxi booking jobs via the ComfortDelGro app, taxi vouchers or free transfers to the airport via its CabRewards website.
For example, a S$10 cab ride, which would typically earn commuters 10 Cabpoints, will translate into 20 Cabpoints under the initiative, called CabRewards+, which was launched on Wednesday (June 28).
To qualify for the scheme, commuters need to sign up for a CabRewards+ account. On successfully activation, they can register up to two EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay cards, which will act as “membership cards”. At the end of their cab ride, they have to tap their registered cards on the cab’s cashless payment terminal to earn Cabpoints.
Speaking at the launch at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, ComfortDelGro Taxi's chief executive officer Ang Wei Neng said this is the first time that bus and train rides are integrated with taxi rides in Singapore.
"We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to improve the overall travel experience for our passengers," he said. "With this initiative, we hope to make their use of the multi-modal transport system all that more rewarding."
In the first phase, only commuters taking SBS Transit buses, the North-East Line and the Downtown Line, as well as the Punggol and Sengkang LRT systems will enjoy discounts on ComfortDelGro taxis.
But Mr Ang added that the company expects to extend the benefits to commuters taking buses or trains operated by other operators such as Go Ahead, SMRT and Tower Transit, subject to approval by the Land Transport Authority.
When asked if its latest move is aimed at beating competition from the likes of ride-hailing apps Grab and Uber, Mr Ang said: "Competition is everywhere, and we have to come up with a unique value proposition ... that will benefit our commuters."
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pathetic effort by CDG.....
1000 cab rewards pts can exchange for S$5 taxi voucher.. so now u have to spend $500 (instead of $1000) to get a $5 voucher?
grab/uber alway give promo code of $4/$5 off nowadays.... with no minimum spend requirement..
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CDG investors dun dare to throw money mah.
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Comfort instructs cabbies to report errant private-hire drivers
In an escalating fight between incumbents and disruptors, taxi giant ComfortDelGro has instructed its cabbies to help crack down on street hails and other illegal practices by private-hire operators.
In text messages sent out to its drivers last week, ComfortDelGro asked its drivers to take photos of private-hire cars - such as those operated by Uber and Grab - that pull up at taxi stands.
Cabbies were told when reporting such infringements to include a photograph of the private-hire vehicle with its number plate clearly shown.
They should also include the date, time and location of the incidence in the report. The text message also asked cabbies to snap photographs if they see other forms of "illegal pick-up anywhere else".
ComfortDelGro said it would forward such reports to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The message has ignited strong protests from private-hire drivers, who are prohibited by law to do street hails or taxi-stand fare pick-ups.
Private-hire driver Chris Koh, 50, said: "There are now more private-hire vehicles than taxis here. So is the rule on taxi stand (pick-ups) still relevant?
"LTA should have done a robust review of the use of taxi stands funded by public money. Instead of creating more divisiveness in our society, taxi drivers and private-hire drivers should be encouraged to co-exist."
A ComfortDelGro spokesman said: "We have been receiving numerous feedback from our drivers that they have been unable to stop at taxi stands because of private hire cars which have been illegally using that space. Taxi stands are important pick-up points for our drivers and we will do our best to ensure that they are not misused."
The Straits Times understands that no other taxi company has sent out such messages to their drivers.
Veteran ComfortDelGro cabby Tony Pang, 67, said he would not act on his company's message. "I wouldn't do it. You'd have to attend court (to testify)," he said.
Cabby Henry Tay, 48, who was previously with Comfort but now drives for HDT, said: "I don't think this is healthy. It will lead to more disputes between cabbies and private-hire drivers. This whole thing should be handled by the LTA."
National Taxi Association adviser Ang Hin Kee said: "There is no need to pit one vocation driver against another. The onus lies with the operator or third-party app provider to educate their drivers."
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cdG WANTS $$. tHEY SHOULD FIND WAYS TO PREVENT THEIR DRIVERS FM WORKING FOR GRAB..NO ??
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shdn't be the negative way
they shd find ways to attract/keep drivers and pax to CDG
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how to keep their drivers, whereby they still refuse to lower their rent for their hirers? they recently got new promotional rental rate of S$69/79 per day (althoughwith conditions), but current hirers not applicable?
so those current hirers will one by one switch to other companies with lower rental.. i think it is best that they can just park all their taxis.. their taxi fleet already reduced by 1000 units since start of 2016...
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this is good competition
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Taxi population falls to lowest in eight years
The taxi population has fallen by more than 10 per cent since the arrival of ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Grab.
According to latest Land Transport Authority (LTA) figures, the number of cabs here hit an eight-year low of 25,699 as at June 30. This represents a 10.6 per cent drop from its peak of 28,736 in 2014 - a year after Uber and Grab set up here.
In fact, the cab population has been shrinking every year since then, with little or no prospect for an upturn in the foreseeable future.
The bleak outlook had prompted SMRT Corp, the third largest operator here, to enter into talks with Grab to dispose of its taxi business.
Cabbies themselves are leaving the trade in droves. According to an earlier report by The Straits Times, the percentage of idle or unhired taxis hit 9.1 per cent in May - almost double what it was same time last year.
Before Uber and Grab entered the fray, the unhired rate for taxis rarely went above 3 per cent.
Ex-cabby Alan Tang, 54, was among those who called it quits this year. Now in the security industry, Mr Tang drove a Comfort taxi for about three years before giving up.
"When I started in 2014, I was earning around $3,500 a month for a 12-hour shift. Just before I left, it had fallen to below $3,000," he said.
"Driving a taxi has its fringe benefits - such as freedom and access to a car for personal use - but it becomes not worth it when your earnings fall below $3,000," he said.
In his new job, Mr Tang said he is "easily making more than $3,000".
"My pay last month was $3,800," he noted, adding that he has days off, annual leave, dental and medical benefits, and most importantly, CPF.
"In the three years that I was driving a cab, I estimate that I lost close to $40,000 in CPF contributions," he said.
Like his former compatriots, Mr Tang blames the rise of private-hire players - and the inability of the taxi industry to respond adequately - as the only reason for the falling popularity of taxis.
Since 2013, the number of rental cars here has more than trebled to 63,259 as at end-June. Of the lot, some 50,000 are estimated to be cars plying as private-hire vehicles. Not all however, display the tamper-evident decal required from July 1.
Some operate under carpooling services such as GrabHitch or UberPool, which are not governed by the new private-hire rules.
Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported over the weekend that Grab had terminated the services of some 200 drivers for exploiting this loophole by for instance, breaching the two-ride-a-day cap stipulated for carpooling services.
In attempts to stem the exodus of drivers, cab operators have started cutting rental rates. Industry leader ComfortDelGro for instance, has rolled out a $79 daily rate for Hyundai i40 cabs which are above three years old. This rate comes with various conditions, but is far lower than the $125 charged for a new car.
The intense competition has spooked investors, with ComfortDelGro's stock price hitting its three-year low of $2.26 Monday.
Meanwhile, the number of private cars has also plummeted. According to LTA statistics, the cohort hit a nine-year low of 545,024 as at end-June - 10.3 per cent down from a high of 607,292 in 2013. Part of the contraction has to do with private cars being converted to become private-hire vehicles.
The total vehicle population has fallen to a seven-year low of 953,097 - 2.2 per cent lower than its high of 974,170 in 2013. This has to do with a three-month lag between the time when a vehicle is scrapped and the time a certificate of entitlement is recycled back into the system.
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Singapore ranks 9th cheapest in Asia for short-distance taxi fares; ranks 20th globally
Singapore ranks ninth cheapest in Asia for short-distance taxi fares, according to a survey by British online used car dealer Carspring.
For a 3km ride, passengers in Singapore pay an average of US$4.01 (S$5.48), beating Seoul (US$6) , Hong Kong (US$6.29) and Tokyo (US$15.95) in taxi fares.
However, it ranked behind other Asian cities like Mumbai (US$1.40), Jakarta (US$1.47) and Bangkok (US$1.64).
Globally, Singapore's taxi fares ranked 20th for short-distance rides among a list of 80 cities.
The cheapest taxi ride is in Cairo, which costs US$0.55 for 3km while the most expensive is in Zurich, where a trip costs US$25.25.
Carspring formulated the rankings by gathering data from the official website of each city, where available.
To take into account varying prices depending on the time of the day, Carspring took the average metered price.
The survey, however, does not account for other variables, such as location-specific surcharges and peak hour surcharges, which have been the bugbear of Singapore cab commuters.
In terms of the taxi fare from the airport to the city centre, Singapore ranked 31st with an average fare of about US$27.31. Cairo also topped this list with a fare of just US$4.20, while a taxi ride from the airport costs a whopping US$189.91 in Tokyo.
Despite the relatively cheap fares of taxis in Singapore, private alternatives such as Uber and Grab have grown in popularity in Singapore over the last few years.
As at the end of last month (June), the number of rented cars stands at over 63,000, with some 50,000 estimated to be plying as private-hire vehicles.
Passengers say that longer distances are generally cheaper with private-hire cars and there is a preference for the fixed fare option provided by them.
Cab companies are now also offering fixed fare options to compete for commuters.
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no point drive taxi liao, so cheap
even prostitute can earn more
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all along pros earn a lot what
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No lah, some pros very jialat, no size pui pui, saggy...
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4 people injured in accident involving taxi and car along Boon Lay Way
An accident involving a car and a taxi occurred along Boon Lay Way towards Toh Guan Road yesterday night (July 24), leaving four people injured.
Photos contributed by Stomper Joseph show the ComfortDelGro taxi on a grass patch after apparently driving through a sheltered walkway, while the car was parked by the roadside.
In response to media queries by Stomp, a spokesman for the police said they were alerted to the accident at around 8.26pm.
The 33-year-old male car driver was conscious when conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital while the three car passengers, aged between 10 and 33, were conscious when sent to National University Hospital.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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Faced with huge demand, Amazon books taxis to fulfil orders
ComfortDelGro taxis seen waiting at the loading area of Amazon's warehouse at Toh Guan Road East in this photo taken around 7.30pm on July 28. Photo: Chris Koh
Confronted with a deluge of orders, Amazon’s Prime Now service has resorted to booking taxis — on top of tapping freelance drivers — to make deliveries.
Transport operator ComfortDelGro, which has the largest fleet here of almost 16,000 taxis, confirmed bookings through its call centre by Amazon Prime.
“They operated like any normal taxi bookings with at least one passenger on board each taxi,” ComfortDelGro group corporate communications officer Tammy Tan told TODAY.
Trans-Cab, the second-largest operator here with more than 4,400 taxis as of May, said it has not heard about its drivers taking such bookings, but was open to the arrangement “as long as drivers are able to make an income out of it”.
SMRT Taxis, Prime Taxi and HDT Singapore Taxi did not respond to TODAY’s queries by press time, while Premier declined comment.
On Friday, TODAY reported that freelance drivers here — some with ride-hailing firms Grab and Uber — were taking on deliveries for the online shopping giant’s “ultra-fast” service, drawn by an attractive hourly rate.
Around 7.30pm last Friday, seven ComfortDelGro taxis were spotted in the loading area of Amazon’s warehouse at Toh Guan Road East.
Private-hire car driver Chris Koh, 50, who gave the picture to TODAY, said a part-time Amazon staff member had told him that the taxis were roped in to do deliveries, as there were not enough cars.
Grab and Uber said their drivers are freelancers and can explore other sources of income, including deliveries.
Uber said its drivers decide when and how long they want to work, as well as the type of work to take on.
“More than 46 per cent” of its drivers here use the application less than 10 hours a week and 76 per cent have stated that they drive with the firm so that they can have flexible hours which they can spend with their families, said the Uber spokesperson.
Drivers told TODAY last week they were earning an hourly rate of up to S$30, comprising a basic wage of S$25 and a S$5 bonus, from making Amazon Prime deliveries.
Paying high wages is likely to be a temporary measure as the company builds its capabilities and meets demand, said transport economist Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Amazon has a reputation as an “extremely efficient and low-cost” logistics operator overseas, especially in the United States, he noted.
“It’s completely inconsistent with how they run their operations in the US that they’d be using these high-cost sources for delivery in the long run ... If they were, I’d believe their shareholders would be extremely unhappy.”
Unless taxi drivers are allowed to make deliveries on their own, it is inefficient for two individuals — the taxi driver and his passenger — to be involved in each delivery, given high manpower costs here, said Dr Theseira.
Once demand stabilises and the firm has a “better sense of what’s going on”, it will put in place a more efficient delivery infrastructure, he said.
Hours into the shopping application’s official launch last Thursday, consumers were left disappointed after they were notified that delivery was “unavailable”. Some also experienced delays in downloading the app.
A check by TODAY at about 8pm yesterday showed deliveries were unavailable until between 10am and noon today, at the earliest.
Amazon spokesperson Amanda Ip said delivery windows were taken owing to “great customer response” and the firm was opening up windows rapidly.
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Cabbies, private-hire drivers cannot do courier jobs: LTA
Taxi drivers and private-hire drivers are not allowed to be couriers or deliverymen for goods if there is no passenger on board, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, an LTA spokesman said: "Under our regulations, taxis and private-hire cars are meant to carry passengers for hire and reward, and cannot be used solely for the conveyance of goods.
"However, passengers who hire a taxi or a private-hire car are allowed to carry goods with them."
LTA was unable to comment immediately on the penalties for infringement, or if anyone has been taken to task yet.
ComfortDelGro, the biggest taxi company here, confirmed its drivers have taken jobs from delivery companies such as Amazon Prime, but maintained that the goods are always accompanied by a passenger.
Drivers, however, said this was not always the case.
Cabby Henry Tay, 48, said: "Previously, there was a fear that what we delivered would be contraband or drugs. But now, with an established company like Amazon, we feel it is quite safe.
"The taxi business is getting slow, so cabbies need to do something to supplement their earnings."
Private-hire driver Tan Ee Hsing, 41, said he has not done any deliveries himself, but has helped direct some 200 drivers to Adecco, Amazon's hiring agent here.
"The rates these delivery companies pay are generally higher than what drivers make from passenger fares," he said.
Premier Taxi managing director Lim Chong Boo said: "We remind our drivers that they are not allowed to perform courier services without anyone on board."
However, he said it was "very difficult" for the authorities to enforce regulations, given that there are about 26,000 taxis and more than 40,000 chauffeured private- hire cars here.
Prime Taxi chairman Neo Nam Heng said the courier business helps drivers optimise capacity during the off-peak hours between 10am and 4pm.
"I have encouraged all the drivers of my fleet of 1,500 taxis to take up such bookings," he said.
Housewife C.N. Yeo, 51, said she has had purchases delivered to her home by a Comfort taxi driver.
Amazon could not respond by press time yesterday.
Lazada, which also owns online grocer RedMart, said it does not use taxis or private-hire cars for deliveries.
• Additional reporting by Tiffany Fumiko Tay
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Taxi fare evasion cases up by 24% http://ebx.sh/2u4aDFW
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LTA could change rule on cabbies doing courier service
A day after it came out strongly against taxis and private-hire vehicles being used for delivery services, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has said that it will review the rules if necessary - right after a taxi association lobbied for change.
"LTA will monitor recent trends to see if these regulations need to be reviewed," an LTA spokesman told The Straits Times yesterday.
Association adviser Ang Hin Kee said taxi availability for passengers will not be adversely impacted by courier delivery services, which will be a complementary business for drivers.
He told The Straits Times: "As it is, there is excess capacity during off-peak hours. This would reduce empty cruising."
The National Private Hire Vehicles Association has also called for a review.
"The transport industry is going through rapid transformations and disruptions, and it is getting extremely competitive as private-hire drivers strive to make a decent living," said the association's executive adviser S. Thiagarajan.
"The National Private Hire Vehicles Association calls on LTA to review its position on not allowing private-hire drivers to be couriers or deliverymen for goods if there is no passenger onboard."
The LTA had long stood firm on its rules, meant to prevent taxi drivers from being distracted by non-fare tasks.
"Taxis and private-hire cars are public service vehicles licensed to carry passengers for hire and reward," the LTA spokesman noted.
Mr Anthony Chey, an insurance partner at law firm RHTLaw Taylor Wessing, agreed, noting: "The paramount consideration for public transport vehicles is to ensure commuters have access to the public transport. Anyone can do courier services, but not everyone can pick up a passenger from the street."
But other experts saw it differently.
National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng said rules must reflect the "sharing economy".
He said the taxi industry faced stiff competition from private-hire operators, and "we have seen the decline of taxi ridership and therefore the decrease of taxi driver income".
"If unhired taxis can be utilised for courier purposes, it is in a way contributing to the overall service productivity," Dr Lee said.
With more than 40,000 private-hire vehicles and 26,000 taxis on the roads, supply to commuters was unlikely to be dented if they also provide courier services.
Dr Walter Theseira, an economist and senior lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, also noted that the transport sector had evolved, and taxis were not the only ones serving commuters.
"Under the implied new regulatory stance, it would seem more consistent to me if all vehicle drivers and all vehicles were allowed to provide any reasonable transport service except in cases where there are policy concerns," he said.
The exceptions would include the carrying of dangerous goods such as chemicals.
Cab commuter Arthur Elfin Chiang, 39, said he does not see why cabbies should not take on courier jobs too.
He said the issue of availability can be solved if "a parcel can be paired with a passenger".
"The existing system already allows commuters to share one vehicle. This is killing two birds with one stone."
