ONE telephone number is all you need to remember if you need to
call a taxi from next week.
Call 6-3425-222 or tap out the alphabetical prompter
6-DIAL-CAB.
The initiative is part of a transport masterplan announced early
this year to make commuting a lot easier.
It arose from feedback from cab customers - especially tourists
- who cannot remember the numbers for the half a dozen taxi firms
here.
It is, however, not a super dispatch system that can scour
Singapore's taxi population of 24,000 to locate an empty one
nearest to you.
By using the common number, commuters are channelled to all the
taxi firms' call centres, one at a time. If the first cab
operator's call centre does not take your call in 10 seconds, the
system diverts you to the second one, and then the third.
If the third call is unsuccessful, you will be asked to try
again. If you do, the system will recognise it is your second
attempt and connect you to the next three call centres.
Asked if the new common number system would be replaced by a
'smarter' system in future, the Land Transport Authority said
no.
'The common taxi booking number system is a permanent facility
to make it easier for taxi commuters to book a taxi,' a spokesman
said.
The LTA roped in SingTel to develop the system, for $90,000.
Ms Tammy Tan, spokesman for ComfortDelGro, whose fleet makes up
60 per cent of the cab population, noted that Singaporeans were
quite familiar with the firm's taxi booking number.
'There is, however, one group of commuters who may be confused
with the different taxi booking numbers and they are the tourists.
For them, the common booking number will be of help.'
Commuters who are familiar with the numbers of the various
operators can continue calling them directly.
Source: The Straits Times July 17, 2008