TAXIS are doing their disappearing act again and, this time, it
is just before peak hour charges kick in at Changi Airport.
A Straits Times check at about 4.45pm on a recent Sunday found
more than 80 people in the Terminal 1 queue, and hardly a cab in
sight. But at 5pm, when the airport surcharge increases from $3 to
$5 - as is the case from Friday to Sunday, taxis appeared, and the
queue cleared in under half an hour.
On other days, cabbies collect an extra 25 per cent of the
metered fare during peak hours from 6am to 9.30am, and after
6pm.
Travellers said they have noticed that queues can start growing
15 to 20 minutes before the extra charges kick in and, in some
cases, the wait for a cab can exceed 30 minutes.
The problem has become worse with growing passenger and visitor
numbers, observers said.
Changi Airport Group spokesman Robin Goh explained: "The long
queue for taxis observed on Sunday (when The Straits Times was
there) was due to the combined effects of a peak in weekend flight
arrivals at T1, as well as the crunch in taxi supply generally
observed islandwide between 3pm and 5pm, when taxi drivers change
shift."
Airport ground staff have also noticed that some taxis intending
to pick up passengers just before the start of the surcharge period
may slow down.
Customers have long complained that taxis vanish just before
peak hour, but this is believed to be the first time the problem
has surfaced at the airport.
In 2012, the Land Transport Authority announced a slew of
initiatives to be introduced gradually, including setting standards
for taxi companies for the number of cabs that must ply the roads
during peak hours, and the minimum mileage that drivers should
clock up every day. Standards were also set for the run-up to peak
hours.
But the cab shortage just before surcharges kick in has
persisted islandwide.
For its part, the airport is taking extra measures.
Said Mr Goh: "We have deployed auxiliary police officers to
patrol the roadways along Airport Boulevard, as well the taxi
holding areas across all three terminals, to ensure that taxi
drivers do not wait out in the taxi holding area."
Not all taxi drivers feel the need to comply.
Said cabby T.L. Wong, 53: "I don't see why it is so wrong for
taxi drivers to wait for the surcharge so we can earn more. It is
just a few dollars extra for the passengers anyway."
Despite the crunch, Indonesian housewife Nadia Wijaya, 62, who
visits Singapore a few times a year, felt that Changi was still an
efficient airport. "If you think this is crowded, you should come
visit Jakarta," she said.
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