Please see the primary reason for
this fare revision exercise by Taxi Chiefs
is to damper demand when complains
had become unmanageable to them.
If they are that sincere in helping
their drivers make $6 to $7 more a day to
defray operating cost,
they could have avoid
this bashings from commuters
and the media by just
recalibrate taxi meters
to exact “published fare”
instead of current 2% to 5%
slowed.
My understanding is all vehicles’
tachometer reading even till today are not
100% accurate. LTA chooses to give
commuters more benefits by ruling
that all meters must be
calibrated slowed by up
to 7% during vehicle inspection.
Taxi chiefs instead of appealing
and reason that a fairer ruling to pass inspection,
should be in the window plus 3%
minus 3%, during inspection,
(settings calibrated exact to
published fare as other countries),
chose to calibrate their meters
slowed by 2% to 5% to avoid incurring
re-inspection costs. If my guess is
correct about this motive.
Almost all SMRT’s crown cabs are
slow by approx. 5% compared to
others least slowed on the road
which is still 2% off the published fare.
If SMRT really cared for its
drivers, why do they still allow their meters to
run at 5% slowed when other meters
at 2% slowed had passed inspection and
not bother with these drivers with
slower meter losing more money everyday?
This should qualified SMRT as the
biggest hypocrite among all Taxi chiefs.
There drivers should question SMRT
sincerity, “Our drivers need a
more
substantial level of income, not just
lower costs or rental rates, in order
to cope with the increasing
cost of living and higher diesel prices, and
continue their
businesses”.
When meters here are slowed by
average 3% means for the 1st km it had
to travel an extra 30 meters before the next 20
cents displayed. If a
commuter alights
at 1.2km, the driver
will have lost earning 20 cents more.
If a one shift driver will to clock
20 trips a day, factoring in the “longer
distance shortfall” and the extra
fuel (assuming at 200 km hired, he would
had to donate extra 6km “estimate
70 cents” of fuel). A driver will have
been shortchanged by minimum $4.70
on a one shift.
(20 cents X 20 trips + 70
cents)
Multiply that by 365 days he will
collect less minimum $1,700 a year which
is rightfully his hard earned money. Divide that
by $50 one shift rental is
equivalent to 34 free half rental
days.
Assuming a day, (27,000 taxis)
factoring in some taxis are driven on 2 shifts,
if 35,000 one shift are applied,
Taxi drivers here are shortchanged of at least
$160,000 of taking a day. ($4.70 X
35,000 one shifts)
Multiply that by 365 days is more
than $50 million of loss income for
Taxi drivers each year. ($160,000 X
365 days)
And the best insult to Taxi drivers
is commuters do not know they are
enjoying discount on every
trips.
Steps to calculate your
meter:
Page 1: Clearer
picture
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc4
... le01jp.jpg
Page 2: Steps 1 &
2
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc4
... le02jp.jpg
Page 3: Steps 3 &
4
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc4
... le03jp.jpg
Page 4: Ref
A
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc4
... le04jp.jpg
