FARES are
quietly going up for some cabs, as operators move to counter higher
certificate of entitlement (COE) prices and a growth restriction on
their fleets.
Most
increases are by 20 cents in the flagdown fares of newer
models.
ComfortDelgro, the
largest operator here with 60 per cent of Singapore's 27,400 taxis,
has priced its Hyundai i40's initial fare at $3.70.
This is 50
cents higher than the flagdown for the Sonata, the i40's
predecessor.
More than
85 per cent of the taxi giant's fleet are Sonatas, which are
expected to be replaced by the i40 - rolled out last month - over
the next few years.
Trans-Cab,
the second largest taxi firm with about 4,400 cabs, has priced its
Renault Latitudes, introduced two months ago, at $3.90. This is up
from its similar-sized Chevrolet Epica, which costs $3.60 to flag
down now, and $3.40 just a few weeks ago.
Comfort
declined comment, but Trans-Cab chief executive Teo Kiang Ang said
the new cabs are "more comfortable, safer and bought with higher
COEs".
Taxi fares
are not regulated here, though operators have to meet service and
safety standards. COE premiums for taxis are now around $77,000 -
up from $50,000 two years ago.
With the
higher fares come higher rentals, which cab firms levy on
cabbies.
Some
operators also play the "green" card when reviewing fares,
introducing petrol-electric hybrids with higher
flagdowns.
SMRT, the
third-largest player here, has ordered more than 600 Toyota
Priuses. The first units will roll out on Friday, with a flagdown
of $3.80.
This is
higher than the $3.50 to $3.70 charged by Premier and Prime, two
other operators with Prius cabs, and also higher than the larger
Hyundai Sonata's $3.20.
SMRT would
not say how it set a price, but said the Prius cabs were "greener
and quieter".
SMRT senior
vice-president (roads) Benny Lim said a mobile app is in the
pipeline that will allow "commuters who wish to travel green" to
specifically request a green taxi.
With the
Prius purchase, the company will have the biggest hybrid cab fleet
by next year.
Other
initial fares which have gone up include Prime Taxi's Toyota
Vellfire. The all-wheel-drive seven-seater costs $4.50 to flag
down, up from $4. The smallest player has upped the flagdown of its
other cabs by about 20 cents.
SMRT will
also raise the rate for its Hyundai Azera to $3.80 this week, from
$3.60.
The rises
have left commuters unimpressed. Marketing professional Lau Sau
Kuen, in her 30s, said it was "terrible" to have so many rates and
surcharges to keep track of.
She added:
"But frankly, aside from a limo or maxi-cab, which offers more
room, I don't know what justifies the higher fares for the other
cabs."
[email protected]
