TransCab fares up from 3 Jan; three others to follow

[land118]

Why must the rest follow COMFORT?

Price collusion? What is Transport Council doing? Guess just keep quiet since COMFORT has raised fares..., LL..

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...172368/1/.html


TransCab fares up from 3 Jan; three others to follow
By Wayne Chan | Posted: 20 December 2011 1346 hrs

SINGAPORE: Four more taxi companies have informed the Public Transport Council that they will be revising their fare structures.

Among them is Singapore's second largest taxi operator, TransCab, which announced on Tuesday that it will be raising fares from 3 January.

TransCab's flag-down fares will cost 20 cents to 70 cents more, depending on the taxi type.

For Toyota Crown, the flag-down fare will be S$3 instead of the current S$2.80.

For Toyota Wish, it will be S$3.20 instead of the current S$3, while the start fare for Chevrolet will be S$3.40 instead of S$3.20.

For Mercedes Benz, it will cost S$3.90, up 70 cents. Currently, the flag-down fare for the Chevrolet is the same as that for the Mercedes Benz.

Every 400 metres after the flag-down distance will cost 22 cents for distances up to 10 kilometres. Currently, it is 20 cents for every 385 metres.

After 10 kilometres, it will be 22 cents for every 350 metres, compared to 20 cents for every 330 metres.

Every 45 seconds of waiting will cost 22 cents instead of the current 20 cents.

TransCab, which has a fleet of 4,300 taxis, will also adjust the fees for cab bookings.

It will be 20 cents cheaper to book the Toyota Wish, Toyota Crown and Chevrolet cabs.

Currently, the fee is S$3.50 during peak hours and S$2.50 during off-peak hours.

However, the booking fee for Mercedes Benz taxi will go up to S$10, from the current $8.

The advanced booking fee will go up for all types of cabs.

For Toyota Wish, Toyota Crown and Chevrolet, it will be S$6.50 instead of the current S$5.20.

For Mercedes Benz cab, it will be S$18, compared with the current S$16.

Peak-hour charges will be lowered to 25 per cent of meter fare from the current 35 per cent of meter fare.

But the peak-hour charges will cover a longer period.

They will kick in an hour earlier, from 6am to 9.30am from Mondays to Fridays, compared with the current 7am to 9.30am.

As for the evening peak-hour charges, they will be from 6pm to midnight throughout the week including public holidays.

Currently, the evening peak-hour surcharge applies to fares from 5pm to 8pm between Mondays and Saturdays.

TransCab is the third taxi operator to announce fare changes, after ComfortDelGro and SMRT Taxis.

When contacted, the Public Transport Council told Channel NewsAsia that three other smaller taxi operators - Premier, SMART Cab and Yellow Top - have informed it that they will also be revising their fares.

Details are not available.

SMART Cab told Channel NewsAsia that it may make an announcement as early as next week.

The remaining operator, Prime Taxi, said it is still looking into the revision and will make a decision soon.

TransCab drivers have mixed feelings about the fare adjustments.

One TransCab driver said he fears that business "will be a bit less" after the fare hikes.

Another said that business during "day shift should be ok" because "everybody (is) going to work, rushing to work". But in the evening, commuters "have plenty
of time, they can take their time (to go home)...they won't take taxi, they'll take the MRT or bus."

ComfortDelGro was the first operator to increase taxi fares, on December 12.

A ComfortDelGro cab driver said: "In the city, it is ok, anytime, I can get passengers. But (in the) outskirts, remote areas, it is difficult to get passengers."

- CNA/ck/ac/ir

[azeoprop]

Oh no...now left only with prime taxi

[land118]

Check out Transport Council members, chairman is Gerard Ee

http://www.ptc.gov.sg/about/meetTheCouncilMembers.htm

On the website...one of its aim is

"Affordable train and bus fares", nothing about taxi fare....

[Eastboy]

The other three should just stay current wither fares and make comfort look real bad. In the end everyone won't book comfort, or shun blue taxis on the roads even.

[land118]

The other three should just stay current wither fares and make comfort look real bad. In the end everyone won't book comfort, or shun blue taxis on the roads even.

Other 3 like "bo ji" le.., see Big Brother up price, under pressure to blindly follow.., din't think of their fleet of drivers..

Actually, if rest din follow, passengers would start calling these other taxi companies and start remembering their hotlines, they can gain advantage...In a truely competitive environment, I m sure the rest want to do better and close the gap between their companies and Comfort, why should they blindly follow to up prices..., only in Singapore. Afterall, some drivers of these other taxi companies would rather that their fares not be increased so that they can have more biz ....

[land118]

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring...09-315405.html

Friday, Dec 09, 2011


RazorTV
Anti-Comfort cab jokes go online

"Cab fare hikes are okay if I owned ComfortDelgro".
"Cab fare hikes are okay if every driver looks like Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson or Portia de Rossi".
These are just examples of the many jokes that have emerged online following ComfortDelgro's announcement that it will raise taxi fares from December 12.

While some netizens expressed pure outrage and displeasure on citizen journalism site STOMP, others came up with creative and sarcastic comments to poke fun at Singapore's largest cab operator.
Facebook pages have also sprung up to rally Singaporeans in boycotting Comfort and Citicab taxis and the cab fare hike.
Despite the uproar against ComfortDelgro's decision to raise taxi fares, support on these Facebook sites are low compared to previous online boycott attempts.
Is it fair to have a taxi fare hike? Catch RazorTV's 5-part special report to find out.

[ysyap]

Oh no...now left only with prime taxi

Let's watch how long Prime Taxi can last... apparently they are conducting survey with their drivers to find out their earnings with the current climate before deciding if they would follow the hike...

[land118]

Let's watch how long Prime Taxi can last... apparently they are conducting survey with their drivers to find out their earnings with the current climate before deciding if they would follow the hike...

Small fry, ikan bilis like Prime Taxi, sure kena pressured to follow, if not kena "suan", bashed by all the other Taxi companies and especially Comfort.., if Prime can really resist and "tong" against increase for 6mths, many will really respect them....

My guess, Prime will give in and annouce that they will increase b4 CNY..., but in the meantime I already log in their hotline: 6778-0808, and erase 6552111

[TKT]

Small fry, ikan bilis like Prime Taxi, sure kena pressured to follow, if not kena "suan", bashed by all the other Taxi companies and especially Comfort.., if Prime can really resist and "tong" against increase for 6mths, many will really respect them....

My guess, Prime will give in and annouce that they will increase b4 CNY..., but in the meantime I already log in their hotline: 6778-0808, and erase 6552111

Let me tell you that for me, I take the taxis about twice a month from home to airport, when traveling for work.

Each time, has been calling Comfort Cabs but dunno why, more than 50% of the time, kena those old Toyota almost want to break-down, backseat already half-concaved type - really pissed me off each time! + its a long journey to airport, but bopian!

Now with this price increase, give added reason to chose another taxi operator, will give all others a chance, starting with PRIME!

I urge you all to do the same too!

[ysyap]

Really must look at time of boarding the taxi also... several times even when I called for cab, also no cab available... If they raise the fare, at least service must go up also lah...

[hyenergix]

This fare increase is led by NTUC and later joined in by other taxi companies all within a month. I doubt CASE will censure the taxi companies for price fixing. Following SMRT, this is another example of government taxing the people to look after its companies.

[ysyap]

And we still think we are well taken care of as citizens but everything also must be paid by us to enjoy various services... when NTUC say they look after their drivers by adjusting the prices, they are just pushing the cost to the users. Never hear them say they'll lower the rental cost for the drivers or they don't buy super big cars but settle for Nissan Sunny or Vios like what Malaysia does and so no need for such high rental! We pay through our noses and let the world think that we have the 1st class transporation in our country!

[hyenergix]

The price increase is due to COEs which is money returned to MOF, so that government is indirectly taxing the people through its GLC. I'm fine with this system as long as the money is returned as investments to the population, not end up as $ for GIC and Temasek to go into senseless ventures overseas.

[proud owner]

Let me tell you that for me, I take the taxis about twice a month from home to airport, when traveling for work.

Each time, has been calling Comfort Cabs but dunno why, more than 50% of the time, kena those old Toyota almost want to break-down, backseat already half-concaved type - really pissed me off each time! + its a long journey to airport, but bopian!

Now with this price increase, give added reason to chose another taxi operator, will give all others a chance, starting with PRIME!

I urge you all to do the same too!

on my last home leave ... from the airport to home .. this cab driver pretended to be chatting with other driver, saying the airport taxi dispatch lady not efficient etc etc .. while i was struggling to load my luggages , 2 big and 1 medium size ..

along the way .. he kept braking for no reason .. slowing down to look at other drivers ... and drinking his kopi in a plastic bad hung on the signalling bar .. kept yawning, scratching his head and arms ..

the cab was filled with "Wan Pao" the chinese Night papers.. so dirty

somewhere along ECP i asked why he kept slowing down to look at other drivers .. he ignored me .. my wife said maybe he couldnt understand English ,,, so i told him in Mandarin ... to quit slowing down unnecessarily ..

he just act blur ... i was going to Farrer Road .. and he didnt know where it was .. i had to guide him all the way ...

the only stretch that he knew was ECP - Aye ...

if not for the luggages i would have stopped at MacDonalds at east coast park way ..and get another taxi ..

imagine that short distance from airport to Macdonalds .. i already cannot tahan the ride ..

really bad ... also ..if not for jet lagged i would have filed a compliant to the company