It was designed to make taxi bookings a lot easier, and that
promise has been delivered.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) last Monday launched a new
Common Taxi Number (CTN) system - 6-3425-222 or 6-DIAL-CAB - and
early signs show that it is a success.
Commuters seeking a cab dial this common number and they are
channelled to the call centres of Singapore's six taxi companies,
one at a time, till they get one.
If the first cab operator's call centre does not take your call in
10 seconds, the system diverts you to the second one, and then the
third.
If that is unsuccessful, you will be asked to try again. If you do,
the system will recognise it is your second attempt and connect you
to the next three call centres.
To find out how well it works, seven LifeStyle reporters did a test
of the new number, as well as the hotlines of the six taxi
companies.
The reporters made four trips by calling to book a cab during the
morning and evening peak hours, with everyone making a call at the
same time, and going to the same destinations.
The $90,000 new system, introduced by the LTA at no extra cost to
the taxi companies, received a five-star
rating from the team for its ease of use and efficiency.
All calls were picked up almost immediately and then re-directed to
one of the six cab operators' call centres. In every instance, the
booking was completed within three minutes.
Reporters who could not get through to their respective taxi cab companies or who failed to
secure a booking fell back on the new hotline number as an
alternative and their calls were also attended to swiftly.
In the past, you had to remember the numbers of six cab operators
here and it proved very confusing for many people, particularly
tourists.
Under the new system, the normal booking fees still apply,
depending on which company you end up making a booking with.
It automatically allocates calls to the taxi companies based on their market
share of all call bookings. This way, every cab company gets its
fair share of calls allocated to it.
If you prefer a particular taxi company but cannot remember its
booking hotline, you can call this new line and get its operator to
forward your call.
A check with the LTA shows that more than 4,600 calls were made to
the new line in the first four days. Its spokesman says the system
can handle 780 calls simultaneously.
'Even at peak hours, this level of calls would be exceptional,'
says the spokesman, adding that during the first four days, the
system achieved a 100 per cent pick-up rate of all calls.
To raise awareness about the new system, 130 posters and 15,500
fliers have been distributed to six major tourist attractions such
as the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Singapore Flyer.
In addition, 30 Singapore taxi stands also display the new
number.
Those who have used the new hotline give it a thumbs-up, praising
it for being hassle-free and convenient.
Undergraduate Lum Jin Xian, 21, says: 'The common number was useful
when I was stuck in the rain trying to recall the various booking
numbers of the cab companies.'
In the LifeStyle test,
ComfortDelgro's fleet of
Comfort and CityCab taxis came up tops too, for
its speedy and reliable service.
Smart took the last spot. It could not
find a cab for our reporter for the first three calls, and the one
time when a booking was secured, the cab failed to show up.
The results mirror a similar test LifeStyle did two years ago, when
the new system was not yet in place.
Singapore taxi companies say they welcome the new initiative, but
most of them were reluctant to comment on whether the new system
will translate into more bookings as it is still early days.
One thing is for sure: The biggest winners are the commuters.
Assistant manager Agnes Seng, 24, says: 'Instead of trying to call
all taxi companies when I can't get
through, now I just dial one number.
'After all, I just need to know whether I can get a Singapore Taxi,
irrespective of the company.'