Its time to do away with all those surcharges that make
commuters more confused....
Seriously... peak hour .... off peak hour....
Just make it easy.
Starting fare: $4 ....
Have only 1 surcharge.
Midnight surcharge: 50% extra.
Trips starting from RWS / MBS / Changi Airport / Expo - SAME
$4...
ERP surcharge exempted for all cabbies.
1st of all...
lets us sit down and highlight the surcharges,
Peak Hours
initial of $1 extra to meter, revised to $2 extra to meter.
Then came in the 35% on the meter... ( a $20 meter journey had
became $27, excluding ERPs )....
It has been revised to the advantages of the Buses & MRTs
during peak hours. (ie 7am to 9.30am & 5pm to 8pm.
Buses and MRT ridership has jumped almost 20% since the
introduction.
Hence who benefited from the above changes ? The Temasek Linked
companies.
TDs drivers have difficulties getting pax during this peak
hours... (unless raining).
MDS
surcharges
With the CBDs less than 100m away
from the Casinos' taxi stand, CBD's carrot of $3 to meter
definitely makes the different... ( you know how long a distance a
taxi has to travel to make $3 ?? ).
With the long taxi-Qs, Operator of IR (LV sands) proposed
to LTA to have a surcharge of $3 to be imposed as well - then came
in the taxis.....
As mentioned by TD RotaryEngine - TDs are self-employed.... they
have rental to pay too.. hence, their interest is to recover
rental+diesel at the shortest possible time.
Starting flag down fare
The taxi flag down fare having
been revised SLOWLY thru the years and accordingly to the public
acceptability... many years ago... the taxi fare was $2.20.. a jump
of $0.40 to $2.60 almost made the country erupted like Volcano in
Iceland...
Within a few weeks (later), the flag down of $2.60 was revised
back to $2.40.
At Current, only the black taxis CHYSLERs
charges a flag down of $5.00 [ with also a higher rate of
$0.30 for every 385m (less than 10km) & 330m(more than
10km) travelled ]. The rest of the taxis start from
$2.80 (Toyota Crowns), $3.00 (Sonata, Toyota Wish< Kia
Magentis), $3.20 (Mercedes Cab, Skoda, MPVs), with a $0.20 jump on
meter for every 385m (less than 10km) & 330m (more than
10km).
MRTs & Buses
With more NEW MRTs stations
(Circle Lines) & up and coming (North-West Lines) on the
way...
The taxis fares must be kept at an affordable rate... Lots
of riderships had already jump boats... hence... the livinghoods of
TDs will get harder in the near future.
Furthermore, the populations of Taxis have been gradually
increasing.... at current of 25,000 TDs on the road.... there are a
high chance that the Taxis could hit 30,000 in the years to come. (
every taxis companies have to have X amt of the taxis on the road -
as a requirement by LTA )...
