views on taxi surcharges

last SG · 2009-06-30T22:17:51+00:00

I suppose only the ground people (ie cabbies) know of the problems in the taxi industry.Maybe should form taxi association to work together with the authorit...

thelionsleepstonight SG

What are your views on the various surcharges going on? Do we need them to encourage taxis to be at certain places at certain times, what are the pros and cons of it?

Eg., airport surcharge just so that our airport will not have a deficit of taxis.., peak hour surcharge (exhorbitant 35% in many customers views) so as to ensure availabity of taxis during traffic congestions timings. CBD $3/ surcharge for customers who complained that taxis are hiding-waiting-for-calls-when they-do-not want -to do-call-bookings-and-they-cannot-ever-get-a-taxi. So now the cheapskate complainers disappear and those who did use the call bookings don't have to make calls anymore.

What can be done to balance (reduce) all these hide and seek games between paxs and taxis? What will happen IF all surcharges are removed? One party wants to save and the other NEED to make as much as possible. Can this be solved?

CM840_2009 SG

29 June, Straits Times wrote about the taxi problem at Changi airport, saying around 4.55pm on fri to sunday, taxi drivers play delay tactics to earn the $5 surcharge.

meaning around 4.45pm to 4.59pm taxi drivers not keen to pick up pax at the airport, after 6pm there are plenty of taxi.

i think it is human nature, can earn more who dont want?

Poolman SG

my view ?

the 35% peak hour surcharge is a problem , main problem , without it , taxi drivers are a happy lot .

all thanks to those knnbccb LTA , Comfort and SMRT's management , for implemented it to generate more revenue during peak hours .

It does the trick at our expense .

all thanks to those knnbccb authorities .

Yes , any LTA employees , pls tell your chief , they are really knnbccb !!!

Poolman SG

airport surcharge is a must , a few years back , without the surcharge , if Tampines and Pasir Ris , and even Bedok is high in taxi demand , then airport simply dead !!!

Why go all the way up to Airport ( without any benefits ) , where one can pick and go at East side ???

Because again , of those knnbccb LTA and knnbccb Airport authority for implementing different surcharge during certain different hours , that make cabby calculated the best for them .

They are just playing the right card for the right game .

Blame who ?

Blame those knnbccb authority la , sometime come to think of it , do they really take a cab ?

Poolman SG

i just email and suan LTA about the Icons taxi stand issue , they never reply me . It show how knnbccb they were . we foreseen the problems , they knew the outcome , but they chose to hide their head into the pits , like an ostrich !!!

Poolman SG

Current flag down $2.80 - $3.20 , absolutely justifiable .

Peak hour surcharge , must be lowered , to match the demand & supply theory !!! There must be a break point , where everything is in a balance situation , not so much , not so little , MRT happy , taxi happy ..... commuters happy .

20% is the most ideal !!!!

$10 fare , peak hour $2 , fair !!!

Poolman SG

Singapore Expo rate of $2 also justiable .. or else cabbies would just drive into Airport . Easily .

Poolman SG

Booking surcharge must be standardised at $3.00 per booking .... cut off those $2.50 off-peak and $3.50 peak hours surcharge .

I need to call mean i need to call ... no need to call means no need to call .

Same crap la ... if in CBD many call , 4.55pm , booking fee $2.50 , 5.00pm , booking fee $3.50 , cabbies would react to the same mentallity like those at The Airport , wait lor ....

If those surcharges all standardised , do u think got this problem ?????

Poolman SG

Lion , u dun ask my view , i not dulan those knnbccb taxi related aurthorties , u asked i really want say knnbccb to them .

Damn shiok to knnbccb them those LTA and Comfort assholes .

kinwashi SG

my view ?

the 35% peak hour surcharge is a problem , main problem , without it , taxi drivers are a happy lot .

even without 35% peak hour surcharges on saturday and sunday, we are still doing it.

Aiya two and the half hours.... how much actually can generated.

If lucky one or two long trips than thing worked, almost above twenty, thirty or more... how long you take to complete... than how many minutes left the end of the peak hours slot.

If short nothing much it help, some rounding nothing is found end of peak hours.

QX179R SG

sometimes what puts me off taking cabs is the 35% peak hr surcharge..

thelionsleepstonight SG

What if raise the flag down fare to $4.80 or $5.20 and do away with the peak hour 35%. Keep the airport and expo surcharges. Push the midnight to 1am to encourage more late night activities.Can do away with the CBD surcharge also. Wouldn't it keep the fare structure simpler.

With more MRT lines and stations coming up, taxi drivers will most likely be doing 'feeder bus services'. Raising flag down fare will cover the loss in businesses. With the heavy traffic situations during peak hours, less trips can be made thereby lowering takings. With the higher flag down rate and without peak hour surcharges, taxi income still can 'make it'.

Will it work?

thelionsleepstonight SG

Ever so many times get whole family with noisy children, they fingerprints all the windows and soil the taxi with litter just to fetch them to the nearest MRT station. $3.20 or maybe even meter never jump $2.80. After they alight, I would have to waste time cleaning the windows and clearing the rubbish.

Would not a higher flag down fare make it more worth it.

thelionsleepstonight SG

Lion , u dun ask my view , i not dulan those knnbccb taxi related aurthorties , u asked i really want say knnbccb to them .

Damn shiok to knnbccb them those LTA and Comfort assholes .

I really don't understand why LTA would not let taxi drivers own their own taxi. That I also knn them. Comfort do need to be knn also, accident repairs not up to standand and they heck care. Complain to higher office and they told my friend to 'po lo so' the workshop foreman to make good the faults. I mean we rent cars from them and we still have to 'po lo so' them. Attitude.

ALN SG

lta since few years back already let the taxi companies and PTC set the their own taxi fares liao…. so complain to lta also no use leh….

ALN SG

actually i think the CBD ERP is more of a killer to me than peak surcharge…. last time, evening peak surcharge $2 time, outside town also not much demand leh….. same as now….

inside town have demand, but must pay $1 to $3 to go in….

more trains? i accept it liao…. taxi population is going to shrink over next 10 years…. unless our population balloon….

midnite surcharge after 1am? i doubt taxi fare can influence pple activities at all. it’s the other way round… in fact, if no midnite surcharge, demand may not increase enough… i feel…

ALN SG

taxi demand is down … no matter how we change fare, we should expect lower income…

so how?

those bastards taxi companies should reduce rental… why only cabbies suffer lower pay but taxi companies no change or more huat? why retail shop rental drop but taxi rental cant drop?... cos cabbies find it hard to exit and easy to enter…. cos no cabby union…. haiz

but then talk so much here also no use…. haha….

part timers are best…. biz good, drive more… biz bad, koon more…. haha

croco2006 SG

Soon u need a computer to calculate the taxi fare - and they install a computer in each taxi and ask u to share the cost.

So boycott taxi...

Just curious...do u all notice we everyday travel from one place to another to work... cause pollution, etc.

Why not all work in their neighbourhood...then holiday time can travel to other towns to visit (like tourists)...hahaha.

Mistrymaxx SG

My take is, why not stagger the 35% surcharge being set according to distance travelled?

I mean, if you really got no choice but travel to a far place, and can only go by taxi, you'll end up paying to exorbitantly if you are slapped with the 35% surcharge on top of meter fare and ERP and all that.

My suggestion is to stagger the surcharge by distance, and give surcharge limit to near, and lower the surcharge to further and further distance.

For example: for first 1 - 4 km, charge 35%, and for next 5 to 8km, its 30% and so on, and say 20km or more, its 10% or something.

Makes everyone happy. After all, the driver still earns a lot from metered fare for the long distance, but its not hefty on the passenger. But if you travel a short distance, its also not hefty on the passenger as compared to long distance.

Anyone agrees/disagrres?

Poolman SG

my view ?

the 35% peak hour surcharge is a problem , main problem , without it , taxi drivers are a happy lot .

even without 35% peak hour surcharges on saturday and sunday, we are still doing it.

Aiya two and the half hours.... how much actually can generated.

If lucky one or two long trips than thing worked, almost above twenty, thirty or more... how long you take to complete... than how many minutes left the end of the peak hours slot.

If short nothing much it help, some rounding nothing is found end of peak hours.

day shift no diff , u try night shift .

if night shift from 5pm to 8pm , normally without 35% peak hour charge average collection is $90 - $110 , that night should be a ok night . Now if $65-$80 , then that whole evening consider gone case . Cos after 10.30pm is about how near are you from town .

Day shift every hdb area got chance , night shift only town , or near town .

How to compare ?