Taxis & TDs in the news/stomp
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Uber officially launches surge pricing for ComfortDelGro cabs
SINGAPORE: Uber Singapore on Thursday (Jan 18) officially announced it will be bringing surge pricing to all ComfortDelGro taxis here through a new service called UberFLASH.
In a press release, the ride-hailing company said commuters will be able to see UberFLASH trip fares before they request a ride, and fares will be lower by 5-10 per cent on average compared to an uberX ride.From 6am on Friday, commuters can book rides using the UberFLASH feature. The base fare starts at S$3 while distance fare per kilometre is S$0.45 and time fare per minute is at S$0.20. Other charges such as wait time fee of $0.20 per minute after three minutes and cancellation fee of S$6 after five minutes, similar to Uber's other offerings, would apply too, it added.
By comparison, the metered fare option offered by ComfortDelGro currently states that the flag-down fare for its taxis ranges from S$3.20 for Hyundai Sonata to S$3.90 for Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq and limousine cabs.According to Uber, when prices are surging, riders will see a multiplier to the standard rates on the map. For example, you might see a surge at 1.8x or 2.5x, and this is how much your base fare will be multiplied by. So a fare that is usually S$10 would be S$18 when it’s at 1.8x surge, it explained on its website.
A company spokesperson subsequently clarified that the multiplier is no longer seen on its mobile app, but a message - "Fares are higher due to increased demand" - would appear when prices surge.
"UberFLASH is the first in a series of collaborative efforts between ComfortDelGro and Uber," said ComfortDelGro Taxi's chief executive Ang Wei Neng, who added that the new feature leads to a "win-win situation" for both commuters and taxi drivers.
It is worth noting, though, that ComfortDelGro drivers have to meet the requirements and terms and conditions set out by Uber, before they are included in the new feature. They will also be briefed on how the app works, the ride-hailing company said.
Rival Grab on Thursday issued a statement following the launch that it pioneered and got approvals for taxis to use such surge pricing and has been working with taxi companies including HDT, Premier, Prime, SMRT and Trans-cab on its JustGrab platform for more than 10 months.
"Grab's priority will always be to improve services and driver livelihoods, and we welcome other companies to join us," she added.
Uber and ComfortDelGro had announced in December last year they had entered into a strategic agreement to form a joint venture, in which ComfortDelGro will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Uber's wholly owned subsidiary Lion City Holdings for S$642 million, and ranks as the local company's single largest deal to date. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, the companies added then.
The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) subsequently sought public feedback on the proposed deal after the deal was announced, and the window closed on Jan 8 this year.
An Uber spokesman said the companies had sought permission from the regulators to launch this new service, but the overall regulatory clearance for the joint venture is still ongoing.
Source: CNA/kk -
Originally posted by QX179R:
Uber officially launches surge pricing for ComfortDelGro cabs
SINGAPORE: Uber Singapore on Thursday (Jan 18) officially announced it will be bringing surge pricing to all ComfortDelGro taxis here through a new service called UberFLASH.
In a press release, the ride-hailing company said commuters will be able to see UberFLASH trip fares before they request a ride, and fares will be lower by 5-10 per cent on average compared to an uberX ride.From 6am on Friday, commuters can book rides using the UberFLASH feature. The base fare starts at S$3 while distance fare per kilometre is S$0.45 and time fare per minute is at S$0.20. Other charges such as wait time fee of $0.20 per minute after three minutes and cancellation fee of S$6 after five minutes, similar to Uber's other offerings, would apply too, it added.
By comparison, the metered fare option offered by ComfortDelGro currently states that the flag-down fare for its taxis ranges from S$3.20 for Hyundai Sonata to S$3.90 for Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq and limousine cabs.According to Uber, when prices are surging, riders will see a multiplier to the standard rates on the map. For example, you might see a surge at 1.8x or 2.5x, and this is how much your base fare will be multiplied by. So a fare that is usually S$10 would be S$18 when it’s at 1.8x surge, it explained on its website.
A company spokesperson subsequently clarified that the multiplier is no longer seen on its mobile app, but a message - "Fares are higher due to increased demand" - would appear when prices surge.
"UberFLASH is the first in a series of collaborative efforts between ComfortDelGro and Uber," said ComfortDelGro Taxi's chief executive Ang Wei Neng, who added that the new feature leads to a "win-win situation" for both commuters and taxi drivers.
It is worth noting, though, that ComfortDelGro drivers have to meet the requirements and terms and conditions set out by Uber, before they are included in the new feature. They will also be briefed on how the app works, the ride-hailing company said.
Rival Grab on Thursday issued a statement following the launch that it pioneered and got approvals for taxis to use such surge pricing and has been working with taxi companies including HDT, Premier, Prime, SMRT and Trans-cab on its JustGrab platform for more than 10 months.
"Grab's priority will always be to improve services and driver livelihoods, and we welcome other companies to join us," she added.
Uber and ComfortDelGro had announced in December last year they had entered into a strategic agreement to form a joint venture, in which ComfortDelGro will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Uber's wholly owned subsidiary Lion City Holdings for S$642 million, and ranks as the local company's single largest deal to date. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, the companies added then.
The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) subsequently sought public feedback on the proposed deal after the deal was announced, and the window closed on Jan 8 this year.
An Uber spokesman said the companies had sought permission from the regulators to launch this new service, but the overall regulatory clearance for the joint venture is still ongoing.
Source: CNA/kk
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Last of compressed natural gas taxis scrapped; CNG cars' days also numbered
Compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis have come to the end of the road, after blazing a trail which fizzled as quickly as it started.
The last CNG taxi, belonging to Trans-Cab, was scrapped late last month, marking the end of efforts to encourage cabbies - who clock three to seven times the distance of the average motorist -to opt for the cleaner fuel.
Trans-Cab managing director Teo Kiang Ang attributed the demise of CNG cabs to several factors, including restrictions imposed on the transportation and storage of CNG that have made the setting up of new stations onerous.
Mr Ang also admitted that CNG cabs tended to have more technical glitches, and cabbies disliked having access to only three refuelling stations.
Trans-Cab was a strong supporter of CNG. Mr Ang opened the world's biggest CNG refuelling station near Jurong East in 2009. He has applied for a change of use for his 7,066 sq m station site in Old Toh Tuck Road, but has ruled out converting it into a petrol station.
Asian Clean Fuels Association director Clarence Woo said CNG is a cleaner fuel compared to diesel or petrol, but without subsidies, it is not viable.
"With the limited number of refuelling stations, cabbies will not want to inconvenience themselves unless the cost is lucrative," he said. "Moreover, a CNG car requires space for the CNG tank, which doesn't help especially for the cab driver who has to transport passengers with luggages."
At the height in 2011, there were 2,836 CNG cabs here, making up 10.5 per cent of the taxi population. The number dwindled to around 1,000 in 2016, and by the end of last year, all were gone.
But cabbies are not the only ones abandoning CNG. According to Land Transport Authority figures, the CNG car population stood at around 1,000 by the end of last year - less than half the peak population of 2,706 in 2010.
Even bus operators have moved away from gas - with the number of CNG buses plunging to 13 as at the end of last year, from a peak of 44 in 2010.
Nanyang Business School's Adjunct Associate Professor Zafar Momin attributed the waning interest in CNG cabs also to economic reasons.
"The number of CNG taxis and CNG private vehicles rose quickly when greener alternative engines started gaining traction and their purchases were incentivised by the attractive Green Vehicle Rebate," he said.
"With the introduction of the Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme in 2013, the relative attractiveness of buying a CNG vehicle diminished. In addition, the inconvenience of refuelling CNG at relatively few locations and the lack of any operating cost advantage versus diesel fuel made choosing the CNG option completely unattractive."
Mr Momin added that the recent spate of CNG vehicle fires "put a nail in the coffin".
He noted, however, that CNG will continue to be a viable alternative fuel in other countries, "especially where CNG commands a significant cost advantage compared to diesel".
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Singapore taxi fleet size at its lowest in over 10 years
Singapore's taxi fleet has shrunk to its smallest size in more than a decade, with numbers of the blue Comfort-branded cabs tumbling below 10,000 for the first time since 2005.
According to latest Land Transport Authority statistics, the taxi fleet stood at 23,140 as of Dec 31, 2017 - 19 per cent down from its 2014 peak of 28,736.
Market leader ComfortDelGro's fleet tumbled to 13,244 - 22 per cent down from its December 2015 fleet size. Its Comfort-branded cab numbers stood at 9,825, while its CityCab taxis numbered 3,419.
In contrast, the chauffeured private-hire car population stood at 46,903 - more than double the taxi numbers - at the end of last year, according to the LTA.
Uber, along with its Asian rival Grab, arrived in Singapore in 2013.
Flush with billions in investors' funds, they have been growing the taxi-like service aggressively. Most of the cars are owned by car rental firms or motor companies, but some 14,000 of these are estimated to be owned by Lion City Rentals, which is in turn owned by American ride-hailing firm Uber.
Mr Ang Hin Kee, executive adviser to the National Taxi Association as well as the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, said: "With the alliance of private-hire companies and traditional taxi operators in the works, these operators are more a ride service vehicle hiring operation rather than a typical taxi rental operation we are familiar with."
The labour MP, however, said he is concerned about the ballooning fleet size. "I think our market will need only an optimal number of vehicles."
He said that with "too many drivers chasing after a finite number of commuters, it is unsustainable", adding that the earnings of drivers will eventually be affected.
Meanwhile, the Competition Commission of Singapore, in response to queries from The Straits Times, said it will complete the first phase of its review of the proposed Comfort-Uber alliance by Feb 19.
If there are concerns, the commission will go into a second phase of deliberations, which will be more extensive.
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National Taxi Association makes recommendations to keep operating model 'ahead of the game'
SINGAPORE: The National Taxi Association (NTA) has made a number of suggestions designed to help drivers “stay ahead of the game”.
The NTA said in a press release on Friday (Feb 16) that the ride service industry needs to move beyond the current operating model as it continues to evolve. It noted that since ride service app-based booking platforms entered the local market, the NTA has been urging the Government and taxi industry stakeholders to work with drivers to adapt to the competition and changing landscape.
As such, changes to the way taxi vehicles are rented could be beneficial. The NTA said that the rental model remains largely the same as 30 years ago, where drivers take on the full responsibility of renting a taxi vehicle on a 24-hour basis.
“Realistically, most drivers can only make use of the car for no more than 14 hours a day. The vehicle is either left idle for the remaining hours or the driver struggles to find a relief driver to help cover the rental cost,” the NTA said.
It added that the driver is still liable for rental payment even on rest days or when he or she falls sick.
As a result, taxi operators could look at offering more flexible vehicle rental arrangements, which would “go a long way in helping taxi drivers optimise the usage of their vehicles”.
The NTA also suggested the possibility of having a common fleet of vehicles that comes with standard features, smart technologies and other enhancements.
“Such features would greatly enhance the ability of the drivers to drive smarter and safer on the roads. With an aging population, all taxi vehicles should also be elderly and wheel-chair friendly,” it said, adding that if the entire industry adopted a common fleet, this would help reduce costs and make maintenance easier.
Finally, the NTA suggested that taxi drivers could learn new industry developments, regulations and essential knowledge while on the move.
“For instance, the curriculum can focus on teaching drivers how to use and apply new navigation tools instead of teaching drivers how to use the street directory. It is timely that our industry stakeholders and regulators come together, to update the training methods,” said the association.
Source: CNA/ec -
Cabby loses control of taxi and crashes into row of parked motorcycles at Jln Kukoh
A taxi driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a row of parked motorcycles at a carpark in Jalan Kukoh this morning (Mar 6).
Stomper Luke alerted Stomp to the incident and shared photos of the aftermath at around 8.59am.
In the photos, the taxi had mounted the curb and three motorcycles were seen toppled over.
"An uncle told me that the driver had lost control of his vehicle," he said.
"He said that he had accidentally stepped on the accelerator."
Luke added that the driver appeared to still be in shock after Traffic Police (TP) officers had arrived at the scene.
"I don't think anyone was injured," he said.
Stomp has reached out to the authorities for more information.