This Christopher TAN really TUA KEE...
"IT HAS been a year since Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo told Parliament that the Government would look into simplifying Singapore’s bewildering taxi fare structure.
There are close to 10 different flagdown rates, three different metered-fare structures, more in 10 kinds of surcharges as well as eight types of phone booking charges.
And that is not counting the growing number of taxi apps it have appeared since Mrs Teo described our cab fares as “complex and confusing”.
So far, nothing has been announced officially, even if the industry expects some changes. The Straits Times yesterday reported that changes to cab fares are pending, with industry players expecting higher flagdown rates, bigger interval jumps but pared-down surcharges.
Why is it taking so long to change the fare structure?
Well, for starters, the Government deregulated taxi fares in 1998 - the very move that triggered the fragmented rates commuters are grappling with now. So, for regulators to tell the industry to shift to a simpler structure is not going to be easy. The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which has been tasked to work with the Public Transport Council to come up with a solution, can only persuade and cajole the industry to change. The task may have been slightly less daunting if there were one or two operators – instead of the six that commuters have to contend with since the industry was liberalized in 2003.
.......
"
A33, November 6, 2014, THE STRAITS TIMES
"IT HAS been a year since Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo told Parliament that the Government would look into simplifying Singapore’s bewildering taxi fare structure.
There are close to 10 different flagdown rates, three different metered-fare structures, more in 10 kinds of surcharges as well as eight types of phone booking charges.
And that is not counting the growing number of taxi apps it have appeared since Mrs Teo described our cab fares as “complex and confusing”.
So far, nothing has been announced officially, even if the industry expects some changes. The Straits Times yesterday reported that changes to cab fares are pending, with industry players expecting higher flagdown rates, bigger interval jumps but pared-down surcharges.
Why is it taking so long to change the fare structure?
Well, for starters, the Government deregulated taxi fares in 1998 - the very move that triggered the fragmented rates commuters are grappling with now. So, for regulators to tell the industry to shift to a simpler structure is not going to be easy. The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which has been tasked to work with the Public Transport Council to come up with a solution, can only persuade and cajole the industry to change. The task may have been slightly less daunting if there were one or two operators – instead of the six that commuters have to contend with since the industry was liberalized in 2003.
.......
"
A33, November 6, 2014, THE STRAITS TIMES
