By Alicia
Wong | Yahoo!
Newsroom – 29 minutes
ago
Soon, you'll be paying more when you flag down
a ComfortDelGrotaxi or book a
cab in advance.
ComfortDelGro Group
announced on Monday revisions to its taxi fare structure, which
includes both increases and decreases in fares and
surcharges.
The move seeks to match supply with increasing
demand for taxi services, said ComfortDelGro, the largest taxi operator in Singapore.
The changes, which will take effect from 6am 12
December, include:
1) Increasing flag down fares by 70 cents for
limousine taxis and 20 cents for other models; raising advance
booking fees by $2 for limousine taxis and $2.80 for other
models.
The move seeks to help taxi drivers cope with higher
costs of living stemming from inflation, said ComfortDelGro.
Advanced booking fees are raised to encourage more
drivers to accept such bookings, the company added.
2) Extending city area surcharge to Sundays
and public
holidays. The $3.00 surcharge is currently
only in place from 5pm to midnight, Mondays to Saturdays.
The operator said this is to attract drivers to the
city area, where demand has increased.
3) Reducing peak period surcharge from 35 per cent of
the metered fare to 25 per cent, but extending the evening peak
hour charges to Sundays and public holidays.
The operator said demand for taxi
services has grown during traditionally
off-peak hours such as Sundays and public holidays. The surcharge
is reduced because of changes to the peak hour timings. (Refer to
graphic.)
4) Reducing booking fees by 20 cents but extending peak
period booking to Sundays and public holidays.
ComfortDelgro now handles 2.4 million bookings a month,
a 47 per cent increase from 2007. To cater to the high demand,
changes include the peak period charge starting an hour
earlier.
To make bookings more affordable, the operator is
reducing the fees. It is also removing the $1.00 public holiday
surcharge.
The transport operator said, "Given the combined effect
of increases and reductions in feed and surcharges, the new fare of
an average 10km trip during the peak period is expected to remain
largely unchanged at $12.30."
Chief executive of ComfortDelGro's taxi
business Yang Ban Seng said, "With population growth, the opening
of the integrated resorts and major shopping malls, as well as a
more vibrant night life, taxi demand has increased significantly in
recent years. This is especially true for the evenings and
weekends."
"The revised fare structure aims to better meet this
increased demand for taxis," he said.
The last fare revision was in December 2007.
ComfortDelGro manages a fleet of about
15,700 taxis.
Summary of fare, surcharge revisions. (Graphic by
ComfortDelGro)
