ComfortDelGro and SMRT Taxis are drawing a largely negative
reaction from readers of The Straits Times Online after their
recent fare hike announcements, with many readers calling for
boycotts of the taxi companies.
ComfortDelGro and SMRT had earlier announced revisions to their
fare structures, which they said would help improve their cabbies'
take-home income and defray rising operating costs.
However, many readers were sceptical of their given reasons. 'To
help the cabbies earn more, reduce the fixed cost rental rather
than increase the fares!', said Goh Jane Lee in a post on The
Straits Times' Facebook page. 'Why increase fares? If the
management of Comfort is so compassionate, that's what they should
do.'
Firdaus Hashim agreed, but said it was too early to talk about the
impact on taxi driver income. He added: 'Public transport companies
will continue to raise prices without shame or guilt, using higher
costs and flat earnings to justify increases.'
Another reader, Lawrence Lee, said there was 'no logic' to the the
taxi fare revision. 'Service and (the) attitude of taxis drivers
have dropped tremendously. Time to upgrade and...improve the
standard of service and attitude or face consequences,' he
said.
Several readers accused the taxi companies, as well as the National
Taxi Association of colluding to fix prices. 'It's an outright case
of price fixing which goes against fair competition,' Vincent Ong
argued.
On Monday, some ComfortDelGro taxi drivers said passengers avoided
taking their cabs when fare hikes by Singapore's largest taxi
operator rolled in.
In a report in The Straits Times on Tuesday, Premier Taxis driver
Tan Keow Ling - who did not see an impact on demand for his
services on Monday - said passengers fretted over whether other
taxi firms would follow ComfortDelGro's action.
'Customers who get into my cabs tell me that they are boycotting
the Comfort cabs,' the 58-year-old said. 'Everyone is worried about
the price increase and asks if my company will follow suit.'
Those against
boycott call
Khor Fujie was among the few readers who argued against a boycott
of the taxi companies. 'The rental still needs to be paid by the
drivers. In the end, the drivers suffer while the companies just
sit back and earn their money,' he said.
Some readers called on the taxi companies to lower daily rentals
for the taxi drivers instead of hiking fares. 'Cab companies should
lower their rental to show they really want to help cabbies,' Goh
Chye Huat Dean argued.
Most taxi drivers, however, fear that costs will rise further, in
particular rental, although a ComfortDelGro spokesman told The
Straits Times on Dec 6 that 'there are currently no plans to
increase taxi rental'. She added that the last time rental was
adjusted, was in 2000. Taxi drivers, however, said that rumours of
an increase are rife, especially given the high vehicle certificate
of entitlement (COE) prices currently.
Finally, reader Jason Ng added that if the companies were 'genuine'
in helping their taxi drivers, 'they should be able to predict the
length of this down-period and at the same time, lower the daily
rental of the cab'.
