By Hedirman Supian, TODAY | Posted: 19 November 2007 1212
hrs
SINGAPORE: Even as the Land Transport Authority brings out the big
stick in its bid to rein in errant cabbies starting today, a Member
of Parliament has proposed a peak-hour carrot - a "location
surcharge" - to improve taxi services in areas with greater
demand.
MP Seng Han Thong has suggested an additional sum for busy places
like clubs, pubs, hotels, shopping malls and Raffles Place.
The root cause of soliciting, refusing to pick up passengers and
overcharging lay in the pricing mechanism, he said, and errant
cabbies resorted to such behaviour because demand for taxis
exceeded the supply at certain times and places.
The MP, who is adviser to the six-affiliate Taxi Operators'
Association, wrote in the latest edition of NTUC This Week: "Taxi
companies need to impose surcharges at taxi stands in the CBD
(central business district) and Orchard Road areas during peak
hours, and at lobbies of hotels, major tourist attractions and
nightspots."
He said: "Only location surcharges can address the problem of
balancing the demand and supply of taxi services at specific places
and time, while allowing taxis to charge a more affordable rate at
other places such as HDB estates and neighbourhood shopping
malls."
Singapore's approximately 45,000 taxi drivers have been getting a
lot of bad press recently for soliciting, overcharging, meter-less
rides, accepting advance bookings but not turning up, and refusing
to pick passengers at taxi stands.
Effective today, the LTA will enforce harsher penalties on drivers
for refusing to pick up passengers - a S$300 fine, six demerit
points and an immediate two-week suspension.
Those guilty of touting will be docked 12 demerit points, fined
S$500 and suspended for four weeks, while drivers caught
overcharging by more than S$20 will have their licences
withdrawn.
A TODAY reader complained recently that a taxi driver had charged
him and his friend S$50 for a ride to Changi Airport from Boat
Quay, while others said they were stood up by cabbies despite
confirmed advance bookings.
But Mr Seng noted that the "silent majority" of taxi drivers were
hardworking, making an honest living.
"We know that a very small group of errant taxi drives have given
the Singapore taxi service a bad name whereas the silent majority
is not as vocal as others in explaining the problems they have to
face everyday," he wrote.
He said taxi drivers' biggest concern was the rapidly rising
operating costs, which had increased to some S$780 a month.
"The pressure on them is immense because they have to work hard to
earn the extras in order to settle these increases in operating
costs," he said.
The parliamentarian's proposal did not sit too well with bunker
trader Lynn Chong, who said: "No, there's enough surcharge. There's
already a peak-hour charge. It already costs up to S$7 upfront if
you take a cab in the CBD or town area during the peak hour." It
will cost even more if one makes a call booking.
Ms Carol Loo, a financial adviser who spends between S$600 and
S$800 a month on cabs, agreed, laying the blame on errant drivers
who just cruise around waiting for call bookings. A price change
will not make a dramatic effect.
She suggested that the taxi companies re-look their business
models: "Their practices are lousy in the first place. A price fix
won't be fair to people, they should be paying more for better
service or quality."
But marketing undergraduate Nur Iskandar Malik welcomed the
proposed increase during peak hours: "I wouldn't mind
paying."
It would be better than having to wait in vain for a cab. Like many
other long-suffering commuters, he will find out tonight if the LTA
stick will see the return of the "disappearing" taxis during peak
hours. - TODAY/ym
