Why Pre-requiste for Taxi Driver is Singapore citizen

333225520 SG

Was discussing with friends that if Singaporean is out of job, last hope is to be a taxi driver cause the pre-requiste for taxi driver is being a Singapore citizen. (http://www.taxi.org.sg/tvl.htm)

But my friend argue that that's being racist! Why can't FT or PR become taxi driver too?

ALN SG

if a local taxi driver can serve me just as good or better, i see no reason why allow FT and PR… cabby is a job and if local can do it well or better, why need to open up to foreigners when there is no lack of local taxi drivers?

think about this… wd you allow your gf or sister or daughter to be driven home half drunk at night in a taxi driven by foreign worker?

how long it needs for a foreigner to know where and what is ang-sa-lee and best way to get there?

333225520 SG

think about this… wd you allow your gf or sister or daughter to be driven home half drunk at night in a taxi driven by foreign worker?

how long it needs for a foreigner to know where and what is ang-sa-lee and best way to get there?

True. But the same thing is there's many other jobs which local can do well yet is taken up by FT.

I was accused as being racist by my friend when I bring up the arguement that it is dangerous to let foreigners be taxi driver as they can rob the passenger and run away...

Anyway, maybe not FT, what about PR then?

Poolman SG

The basic fundamental requirement of a taxi driver - ROUTES !!

Who's better ? A 30-yr-old born-and breed pure S'porean or a stay only in S'pore for last 5 years foreign talent ?

TehJarVu SG

please lor, i don't want to say onan road and they send me to outram

kinwashi SG

Singaporean is out of job, last hope is to be a taxi driver. no there is still other Gurung Guni, Property agent... many others. My gahman will creat more jobs, dun worry at all as Singaporean.... let your friend know about this..ya.

Spikyorca SG

lianamaster SG

The basic fundamental requirement of a taxi driver - ROUTES !!

Who's better ? A 30-yr-old born-and breed pure S'porean or a stay only in S'pore for last 5 years foreign talent ?

True.

sinicker SG

henderson road, anderson road.
vivocity, velocity.

oxford mushroom SG

The basic fundamental requirement of a taxi driver - ROUTES !!

Who's better ? A 30-yr-old born-and breed pure S'porean or a stay only in S'pore for last 5 years foreign talent ?

That's just nonsense. Put a GPS system in every taxi and given the right training, any foreign worker can do your job. This government has been trying to give losers who cannot find a job otherwise a chance to eat by restricting taxi licenses to undeserving citizens who only know how to rant against them.

Time to open the market to foreign competition.

FirePig SG

That's just nonsense. Put a GPS system in every taxi and given the right training, any foreign worker can do your job. This government has been trying to give losers who cannot find a job otherwise a chance to eat by restricting taxi licenses to undeserving citizens who only know how to rant against them.

Time to open the market to foreign competition.

so evil.

ALN SG

oxford mushroom the pro FT is back in town…

ALN SG

tell u, our gahmen may do many funny things that people curse at them…

but know this, the day unemployment rate go sky high is the day they go out of power… meaning they treat local jobs very seriously… not anyhow open up to so-called FT… unless got good reason…

oxford, btw which line u in?

Hello Kitty SG

the qn is not y bt y not.

ALN SG

y not? like that the question will have no end u know…. y not open to those under 30? y not just ban local cabbies? y not just not have taxi at all? how to answer these kind of questions?

KCTK SG

Time to open the market to foreign competition.

GPS... won't tell you that Springleaf Tower in Anson Road must come by Prince Edward cos the drop-off point is at Prince Edward side, not Anson Road. And in the CBD area can't just drop the pax along Anson Road. There are many many more such situations. FT with a GPS...hmmmz. So oxford, imagine it is your first time to Springleaf Tower for an interview (some high flyer job paying $200+K a year), FT with GPS takes you to Anson Road....alamak cannot stop here sir, I turn back and let u drop at International Plaza taxi stand or CPF Building taxi stand ok? not ok ah..so how? yeah, you will get there, sometime, eventually, but late for your important interview, so how?

oxford mushroom SG

A good GPS is far better than the majority of taxi drivers I have met who don't even know Singapore roads, much less buildings. The fact is: you have not proven that a local will know Singapore roads better than a foreigner with the right training. Put all cab drivers through a rigorous exam (London can drivers spend a year in training to sit the 'Knowledge of London' exam). London cab drivers are required to know the shortest route between any two points in London. Do the same for taxi drivers in Singapore.

Whoever can get through the exam, regardless of citizens or foreigners, will deserve the license.

LazerLordz SG

GPS systems are not heuristic in nature.

The role of human memory over the best routes to take at different times of the day, beats the data churned out of the GPS that does not take into account multiple factors that affect road conditions.

Secondly, foreigners may not have lived here long enough to know non-official but vernacular names of places/buildings/streets in Singapore.

We've got enough service quality issues with foreign bus drivers as it is. This is Singapore, not some kucing kurap place where cost is the only sole factor.

LazerLordz SG

Put all cab drivers through a rigorous exam (London can drivers spend a year in training to sit the 'Knowledge of London' exam). London cab drivers are required to know the shortest route between any two points in London. Do the same for taxi drivers in Singapore.

Whoever can get through the exam, regardless of citizens or foreigners, will deserve the license.

This is a better alternative than reliance on GPS, provided the driver education for foreign applicants include a standard English course for effective communication.

mamamamama SG

think about this… wd you allow your gf or sister or daughter to be driven home half drunk at night in a taxi driven by foreign worker?

how long it needs for a foreigner to know where and what is ang-sa-lee and best way to get there?

Frankly speaking, it isn't exactly safe for the ladies even when the driver is a Singaporean, but somehow the idea of my gf/sister/daughter boarding a cab driven by a FT just doesn't seem comfortable.