AFTER reading about the hardships faced by taxi drivers due to
double bookings and irresponsible behaviour by some passengers
("Taxi passengers, stop making multiple bookings" by Mr Teo Kueh
Liang; April 13), I would like to offer a passenger's
view.
Earlier this month, I tried to book a taxi using the ComfortDelGro
app on Android.
I received a message that the server was busy so I tried to book
one via SMS.
I was informed that I had an existing taxi booking. My wife
received a similar response when she sent an SMS booking even
though she had not tried to book a taxi before this. No taxi
arrived to pick us up that day.
Last month, I was at Labrador Park with my friend and I used the
app to book two taxis. The first booking went smoothly and my
friend boarded the first taxi when it arrived.
I waited so long for the second booking that I decided to board a
taxi which had stopped to drop off a passenger.
The confirmation for my second taxi booking came as I was boarding.
The estimated waiting time was seven to nine minutes.
I promptly cancelled the booking but later received a call from the
driver of the booked taxi. It turned out that he had not been
notified of the cancellation.
Then, last Sunday night, I was in Little India and was using the
ComfortDelGro app without success to book a taxi.
Eventually, we managed to flag down a cab. Five minutes later, I
received an automated call from the booking centre about a waiting
taxi. The app did not show any booking and I cancelled the taxi by
SMS.
As these incidents show, sometimes, it is not the passenger's
fault. Passengers who do multiple bookings may do so as they have
had the experience where none of their bookings went through.
Taxi companies should boost their booking systems and procedures so
as not to unnecessarily inconvenience passengers and drivers.
Kunwar Bir Singh
