Ah Gong stories about Singapore Taxis
(All information borrow
from internet here and there)
History of Singapore Taxis
Before 1970s --- No apparent
proper organization of taxis in Singapore
--- Pirate taxis, operated by individuals using generally old
vehicles and charging exorbitantly high fares, existed. This caused
a severe competition with bus services for passengers, as well as
putting passengers lives at risk.
October 1970 --- Comfort Taxis
was formed, as significant part of an operation to eradicate pirate
taxis
1976 --- Radio phone service
for taxis introduced
August 1979 --- Dial-a-cab
service introduced. (The dial-a-cab service was computerized in
1990)
June 1981 --- All mechanical
meters in taxis were replaced by electronic meters
January 1984 --- NTUC Comfort
Training School was set up to train would-be cabbies
1989 --- TIBS Taxis was
formed
1991 --- premier taxi services
started by TIBS Taxis with Mercedes and Londoncabs
1995 --- Citycab formed from
Singapore Airport Bus Services (SABS), SBS Taxis and Singapore
Commuter taxis
March 1996 --- Yellow Top Cab
was formed. Comfort Cablink dispatch system introduced.
1997 --- Start of Sovereign
Limo taxis by Yellow Top Cab
1998 --- Taxi fares
deregulated, taxi companies can set their own fares based on market
conditions
--- Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system was introduced,
passenger to borne ERP charges
2003 --- 3 more taxi operator
licenses granted to 3 new operators. From there on, the total
number of taxi operator licenses was 7.
--- Quality of Service standards for Taxis introduced
--- Vocation License Point System introduced in June of that
year
--- Singapore Taxi Academy formed in July of that year to train
professional cabbies
2004 --- Premier, TransCab and
SMART taxis commenced operations
--- TIBS Taxis renamed SMRT taxis on 10 May 2004, together with
its mother company Trans Island Bus Services (bus services renamed
SMRT Buses)
December 2005 --- all taxis
switched to use Euro IV standard diesel. All new taxis introduced
are required to satisfy EURO IV standards
November 2006 --- NETS payment
for taxi fares introduced
