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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Try out these methods to boost taxi ridership
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT WAS reported that there were 8,805 fewer taxi rides in the first quarter of this year, compared to the corresponding period last year ('Fewer people taking taxis', last Saturday).
The combination of various surcharges during the morning and evening peak hours has mainly contributed to the dip in ridership. Besides these surcharges, passengers are also deterred from taking a cab as they have to pay hefty fees when passing through multiple Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries to reach their destination.
It is indeed absurd that in a small island state, 24,000 cabs ply the roads, competing for a limited number of passengers.
The Taxi Operators' Association, which represents the interest of cabbies, should think of ways to cushion the impact which is expected to hit the earnings of cabbies in the long term. It is indeed gratifying to note that the association is working closely with taxi companies and the Land Transport Authority to promote taxi ridership in many forms.
I would like to offer my two cents' worth on how to encourage more people to take cabs:
- Reduce time-based peak hour surcharges from 35 per cent to 25 per cent and the city surcharge from $3 to $1.
- Waive fees for taxis passing through ERP gantries, with or without passengers. The number of taxis is far fewer than the number of passenger cars (900,000). Thus, it will not add to congestion as not all taxis will ply the same roads at the same time. If this is not possible, offer discounted ERP fees to taxis - for example, $1 and 50 cents when passing through each gantry during peak and off-peak hours respectively.
- Stop issuing licences to new taxi operators as there are far too many operators competing with one another.
- Downsize and impose a limit on the maximum number of taxis in each taxi fleet.
Lastly, taxi companies should not be too engrossed in making profit. Instead, they should help cabbies by reducing taxi rent and reducing the price of diesel during these difficult times. Poh Soon Leong
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT WAS reported that there were 8,805 fewer taxi rides in the first quarter of this year, compared to the corresponding period last year ('Fewer people taking taxis', last Saturday).
The combination of various surcharges during the morning and evening peak hours has mainly contributed to the dip in ridership. Besides these surcharges, passengers are also deterred from taking a cab as they have to pay hefty fees when passing through multiple Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries to reach their destination.
It is indeed absurd that in a small island state, 24,000 cabs ply the roads, competing for a limited number of passengers.
The Taxi Operators' Association, which represents the interest of cabbies, should think of ways to cushion the impact which is expected to hit the earnings of cabbies in the long term. It is indeed gratifying to note that the association is working closely with taxi companies and the Land Transport Authority to promote taxi ridership in many forms.
I would like to offer my two cents' worth on how to encourage more people to take cabs:
- Reduce time-based peak hour surcharges from 35 per cent to 25 per cent and the city surcharge from $3 to $1.
- Waive fees for taxis passing through ERP gantries, with or without passengers. The number of taxis is far fewer than the number of passenger cars (900,000). Thus, it will not add to congestion as not all taxis will ply the same roads at the same time. If this is not possible, offer discounted ERP fees to taxis - for example, $1 and 50 cents when passing through each gantry during peak and off-peak hours respectively.
- Stop issuing licences to new taxi operators as there are far too many operators competing with one another.
- Downsize and impose a limit on the maximum number of taxis in each taxi fleet.
Lastly, taxi companies should not be too engrossed in making profit. Instead, they should help cabbies by reducing taxi rent and reducing the price of diesel during these difficult times. Poh Soon Leong
