tornado thoughts

Taxi anyone?

With the increase in taxi fares,
- call a cab during peak period (+S$4)
- peak period (+S$2)
- revised cab fare starting price (+S$2.50)
that sums up to S$8.50 when you haven't warm up the seat in the cab that you just got in.

Heard from friends who had spoke to taxi drivers, there are different reasons came out of different taxi drivers.

One of the taxi drivers said that they didn't earn much because the taxi company increased the rental of taxi to taxi drivers. This increase offset the extra income that they are getting per trip from customer.

Another said that rental of taxi had been gradually increasing through the years thus this increase in taxi fares gave them more breathing space for their pockets. With so many taxi companies set up in Singapore, it would not be surprising to know that the number of taxi has reached its saturation point. Many people do not want to slog so hard and just earning thousand plus monthly with NO cpf and no benefits and many of them are returning the taxis to the various companies. With this new increase in taxi fares, they hope to win back more drivers to drive for them because empty taxis parked in the depot means money lost.

Another reasoned that Singapore is holding various important international meetings come the month of September and they want to portray Singapore's transport system as efficient. Not one that cannot get a taxi during peak period when they want to move about in Singapore.

I was telling my gf that Sunday Straits Times has published that it is cheaper to own a car then to take a cab (conditions apply, eg you take cab on a daily basis and travel a certain number of distance at certain period of times). Then she rationalised that maybe it's all a propaganda. Govt wouldn't publish something that's against them or else they will ban the writer like our local blogger. With the increase in taxi fares, more people buy their own cars. Petrol price gradually increase and soon road tax will increase. The article from the SST may not be valid anymore then. Hope her discernment is not that accurate for this case. ;p

With the increase in taxi fares, your progress package comes in handy in this case. Or have you spent it all during the Great Singapore Sale!?!?

posted by tornado @ 8:28 PM