Taxi drivers owning a car is very common lah, all tua tua tan
tan huat huat. I will put it as, not car owner turn taxi driver,
but rich car owners drive taxi to pass time. Driving a car after
sometime, not shiok, nothing to see and talk, but taxi driving is
different, very colorful, many farkers, chio bu, ah pui, ah san and
weird peoples to see mah. More adventurous.
If you look at the pass history of taxi fares adjustment, the
initial few weeks will be quite silent. And that is good for those
more able to pay regular paxs, to them, peak period more easy to
get a cab. But after a month or so, it is back to normal.
Increase of taxi fare come in 2 kinds.
1. Fare increased due to High COE of
purchasing cab, pax hv to absorb that increment, nothing to gain
for Taxi driver, as they also paid higher rental.
2. Fare increased due to standard of living and the needs of
taxi driver to higher their income inorder to compete with manpower
shortage by attraction.
In the case of nos 1, nobody gain except the government (high
COE to bid the cab), the loser is the pax.
Driver got nothing to gain. And it is happening now. This is not
consider as income rises for TD
In the case of nos 2, this is to match the market condition
wages, TDs must be able to make enough to match the cost of living
and at the same time, bring up family and saving. The income range
for TD must move up as wages and inflation moved up. And because
fare increases had alway been linked to high COE of cab and high rental prices, TD got nothing to
gain, in another word, Zero increment.
If you work in a companies, your wages would had gone up years
after years to curb or be inline with inflation (cost of living),
if one find his paid is unable to cope up with the cost of living,
then it is like working for nothing.
So, same goes to TD, we must advocate for a fare increment that
justify our work, the economy and the high cost of living in
Singapore. This should be how we argue with Govt, if still no fares
increase…then election, you guys know what to do.
