Ride-Hailing Apps/News/Discussion
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Originally posted by bowah:
They want to grab, let them grab lor..it is not that they grab and I got nothing to grab?? I still drive, still get the calls, still earning the same income, and still can grab..
This thing is very much up to individual, if he wants to add tool to his work, so be it, but it will be heavy in a sense. And then, at the end of the day, can it make you a millionair taxi driver, or can you save more from it??
To me, all these apps only make a driver more lazy, park one side and wait..bids here and there, it become a fashion rather than a money churning equipment, he grab, she grab, I grab…but in the end..income look similar even with no grab. And as time passes, it become an addiction of it
not lazy but smart way of doing business. why drive under the hot weather?? park at multi-storey carpark and relax.
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Then why drive taxi?? might as well do security at aircon guard room. And when u park and relax, you are losing, why not work smart and hard, grab calls and at the same time, swept and take opportunity to increase your income higher.
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This one arh...screw up LTA Taxi Booking KPI. Suddenly, all the taxi companies KPI fail..hahaha...
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Originally posted by Taxilim88:
This one arh...screw up LTA Taxi Booking KPI. Suddenly, all the taxi companies KPI fail..hahaha...
No ppl call for booking cab how to fail?
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TD very funny 1 la.....
MDT got call, no incentive, they will say all taiko calls.....
Than taxi app got incentive, suddenly all the pax no more taiko liao.....
We shall see lor, once they stop all the incentive, see what TD will say again lor.....
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
TD very funny 1 la.....
MDT got call, no incentive, they will say all taiko calls.....
Than taxi app got incentive, suddenly all the pax no more taiko liao.....
We shall see lor, once they stop all the incentive, see what TD will say again lor.....
they will kpkb n say
Knn water in the well dried up so fast ah
should hv sucked till dry dry la last time
wahahaha
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Originally posted by Redxx:
No ppl call for booking cab how to fail?
Still got people call lah, but not those taiko call anymore, good calls -
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
TD very funny 1 la.....
MDT got call, no incentive, they will say all taiko calls.....
Than taxi app got incentive, suddenly all the pax no more taiko liao.....
We shall see lor, once they stop all the incentive, see what TD will say again lor.....
No lah, apps is a new system that like it or not, is the new era of our time, it will stay and progress, comfort and many other taxi companies know that it cannot be stop, and I proudly told them that -
"We hv to accept competition, we hv to accept innovation and changes" going against it will only make it bigger and in IT info comm, there is no such thing as stopping and limitation, so instead of going against it, companies should rise their competitiveness thru higher innovation and create a much better way of call for their hirers" Taiko or not, is not the issue, apps operate at a low cost infrastructure in comparing to companies having to invest in operators, MDT and third parties involvement like net and so on. It is just an apps, a low cost start up, but a big call return, you do not worry abt getting pinoy operators, you do not worry about admin cost/wages to operators, supervisors and so on. And that cost can turn to reward drivers on the road taking up calls and doing hard work. Any sound business mind person will choose an apps anytime. Together with the telcos who sell smartphones and lines, apps do help them to increase sale of smartphone, you see the link? We must not evade technology, especially those created for the benefit of TDs and paxs, however, the system and rules must be put in place, and I am sure they will adjust it to suit our LTA rules and regulations, as new, there will be some infringement but with time, thing will get smoothened out and perhap get better.
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Quote by comfort "We are not worry about all these apps on taxi booking, it had been going on since the start of smartphone and not just recently, we take it as a challenge and that will inspire us to continue to innovate and make calls system better for our drivers" Smlj better call system??
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Originally posted by Redxx:
No ppl call for booking cab how to fail?
Will have cheapo pax call one lah, no takers onli..
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Originally posted by bowah:
No lah, apps is a new system that like it or not, is the new era of our time, it will stay and progress, comfort and many other taxi companies know that it cannot be stop, and I proudly told them thatI agree, but in Sinkie aspect, is more for our next generation of TD la.....
Knn, our generation si beh bowah....
From nothing to pager to zone phone to 大哥大 to now smlj phone also have......
Our generation have to go thru so much changes, knn.....
Than from talkie to radio set to MDT to now smlj app.....
Income bo increase, Jo wu Jo bo, all si beh kian lor.....
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Hail the new taxi apps
Bypassing taxi firms' booking systems, these apps help riders grab cabs and cabbies get more fares. KASH CHEONG and COLIN TAN report
Taxi apps are giving cab companies a run for their money.
In just half a year since its launch here, GrabTaxi already claims that it has enough drivers using its service to be the "second largest cab fleet" here. Digital Life understands that Easy Taxi has amassed 7,000 cabbies under its wing and they have made more than 100,000 rides using the smartphone app since it started in December.
Yet, neither company owns a single taxi.
Fed up with long taxi queues and tired of long waits when calling to book a cab, commuters are turning to mobile transport booking apps that do away with many of the problems associated with conventional ways of booking a taxi.
GrabTaxi, Easy Taxi, MoobiTaxi and Uber apps offer real-time location tracking and link drivers with passengers directly. The companies behind these apps say their business is growing as they compete with established operators who have their own call centres.
Before GPS-enabled smartphones became so widely used, only cab companies, with their satellite systems, could easily track taxis and relay booking information.
Now, smartphones with GPS functions enable third parties to match drivers and passengers.
The apps are especially popular with cabbies from the smaller companies as their smaller fleet size means they get significantly less calls than market leader Comfort Delgro.
Mr Jonathan Pang, vice-president of products at MavenLabs, which launched MoobiTaxi last year, said: "The simple smartphone is levelling the playing field for everyone."
The potential of these apps has not gone unnoticed. Temasek-backed Vertex Venture Holdings just invested a new sum in GrabTaxi this month, bringing its total investment in the company to at least US$10 million (S$12.6 million). Some cab companies are concerned.
TransCab's general manager Jasmine Tan said: "We have invested in call centres. It seems unfair that these apps are using our cabs."
Popular with drivers now are GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi which offer cabbies plump incentives for taking assignments. Such variable payments top the $2 to $3 that cabbies earn for taking bookings by their own companies' reservation service. They even get compensated for no-shows.
This week, GrabTaxi is paying $58 to drivers who accept 20 jobs in a week, and $188 for 40 jobs. Drivers get $2 for a no-show if the company verifies with the passenger that this is the case.
Easy Taxi will pay $5 a job once drivers accept 12 jobs in a week, and $6 a job once they hit 24 jobs in the same period. Drivers get $100 more for taking 40 jobs in a week. They get $3 for each no-show. Such attractive payouts have allowed the app companies to grow their base quickly.
Bonus payouts
Mr Armstrong Ho, 46, who drives a Premier cab, started using Easy Taxi last December. He said: "I have earned about $2,000 in incentives this month with Easy Taxi."
This included a $1,000 payout for taking 100 jobs in a week. Mr Ho was one of eight drivers who received this "super bonus" last week.
These apps also benefit those from smaller cab companies. Said Mr Ho: "Most people tend to call Comfort at peak hour because it has more cabs."
But new apps level the playing field for smaller cab companies, which get fewer calls, he said.
They give passengers a way to reach a wider pool of drivers than by calling just one taxi company.
Ms Evon Tan, 32, who has been using GrabTaxi since January, said: "It's a win-win situation for drivers and passengers."
GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi require their passengers to key in their destinations. This allows drivers to plan their routes ahead of time.
Explained Mr James Low, 38, a Premier driver who uses GrabTaxi: "It's a very useful function. At least we know which passengers we can pick up when we are about to change shift."
Better chance of getting a cab
MoobiTaxi, a booking aggregator, works in a different way. Passengers can book rides via the app, which is also linked to Comfort and CityCab and SMRT Taxis' servers. Every ride request is also dispatched to Comfort and SMRT cabbies in the vicinity and appears on the screens in their cabs.
This increases a passenger's chances of getting a cab as drivers without smartphones can also respond.
MoobiTaxi said it wants to offer its app to all cab operators.
But MavenLabs' Mr Pang said operators with smaller and, therefore, more dispersed fleets are reluctant to get on board. They worry about coping with higher demand and meeting the service standards set by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), including a time limit for cabbies to arrive after accepting a booking, he added.
Such requirements do not apply to GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi as their bookings do not go through taxi companies' booking systems.
A fourth app, Uber, uses drivers and vehicles from limousine companies here. The app, which originated in the United States, offers high-end luxury cars on its Uber Black service, and regular sedans on its cheaper UberX service.
Uber's charges are simpler and are quite different from the complex combo of local flagdown fares and surcharges that the five taxi companies use. It also offers payment by credit card by default, with no additional fees.
Despite Singapore's relatively small population of 5.4 million, it has about 28,000 cabs on the road, which make it an attractive market for taxi app companies. In comparison, Hong Kong has about 18,000 cabs; and London, about 23,000.
Mr Gustavo Vaz, co-founder of Brazil-based Easy Taxi said: "Taxi rides are more affordable in Singapore when you compare them with Brazil and many European cities." Singapore's high smartphone penetration rate - at least 78 per cent - is an added draw for services looking for a quick roll-out and speedy adoption.
GrabTaxi general manager Lim Kell Jay said: "In the Philippines, many drivers didn't have experience with smartphones. We had to equip them with smartphones and teach them how to use these apps. Singapore's population is tech savvy, so that's a big plus."
Cab companies feel the heat
Several Comfort and CityCab drivers who use these apps told Digital Life that they have been questioned about accepting so many private bookings.
ComfortDelGro, the parent company of Comfort and CityCab, which got more than 32 million call bookings last year, said it does not ban its drivers from using such apps, but will "continue to invest and innovate so as to stay ahead of the competition".
The company, which owns more than half of Singapore's taxi fleet, added a field asking for a customers' destination in its own booking app a few weeks ago.
A CityCab driver, who only wanted to be known as Mr Lim, said: "We have been wanting this feature for such a long time."
He said that the new taxi apps are a wake-up call for the company.
At the beginning of this year, TransCab also sent out a message to its approximately 4,000 cabs to discourage drivers from using third-party apps.
Though the company does not ban its drivers from using the apps, its general manager,
Ms Jasmine Tan, feels that it is unfair for these apps to use the company's cabs as it has sunk money into a call centre.
Replying to queries from Digital Life, the LTA said it was "reviewing the impact of third-party applications on the taxi industry" and looking into "how it may benefit taxi drivers and commuters in matching demand with the supply of taxi services". For now, the companies behind the apps cannot charge an additional booking fee.
Last year, the LTA also told GrabTaxi to remove from its app a tipping feature that would let a passenger secure a cab more quickly.
"Taxi drivers are not allowed to overcharge passengers by collecting fares in excess of those set by their taxi companies," said an LTA spokesman.
MoobiTaxi's Mr Pang is sanguine. He said: "Technology is always disruptive. It is now disrupting the taxi market too."
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:Brother, in term of changes, the different btw our gen and the x + y gen speak volume by itself, in our times, the changes take 4 to 5 years, in the new gen, it only take 4 to 6 months, the speed of changes is amazing, and most of us will not be able to catch up..u ask a young chap abt newspaper, they will ask you, what is newspaper.
I agree, but in Sinkie aspect, is more for our next generation of TD la.....
Knn, our generation si beh bowah....
From nothing to pager to zone phone to 大哥大 to now smlj phone also have......
Our generation have to go thru so much changes, knn.....
Than from talkie to radio set to MDT to now smlj app.....
Income bo increase, Jo wu Jo bo, all si beh kian lor.....
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I notice tis week evening peak hrs cdg current calls start to show destination
i mean there's a increase
as a regular call taker I find tis strange
any cdg drivers notice the differents bo?
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Originally posted by getcarter:
I notice tis week evening peak hrs cdg current calls start to show destination
i mean there's a increase
as a regular call taker I find tis strange
any cdg drivers notice the differents bo?
Those updated CDG apps booking MUST key in destination
Those using old CDG apps booking no need to key in destination
Those using phone call automated no need to key in destination
This is the so call counter fight back by CDG lor ...
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That is why I said, competition among calls is good for all cabbies in concern, remember our motto is..taxi driver..united, be it silver, TC or cdg or prime and smrt, it is a gain for all, like I just did a super relief yesterday for a cdg driver, he said, now got cdg call with current destination, ++ grab taxi on my smartphone, so much more opportunity. Somemore, got grabtaxi decal logo on both his windows..lols As said, Cdg spokewoman put it, we are not worry about these apps, instead we shall innovate and improve to stay competitive...so...Cdg will soon come out with their own apps...lols
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Originally posted by getcarter:
I notice tis week evening peak hrs cdg current calls start to show destination
i mean there's a increase
as a regular call taker I find tis strange
any cdg drivers notice the differents bo?
U got booking one...which lorongs? I no take call, just stand on the street, also got people ask..how much..tao rai -
Originally posted by Reliefdriver4u:
Those updated CDG apps booking MUST key in destination
Those using old CDG apps booking no need to key in destination
Those using phone call automated no need to key in destination
This is the so call counter fight back by CDG lor ...
Oh isszit gd la,must thank all the pte apps for tis
Yesday took 5 calls with destination n send around my area only
never drive far far or use ex way
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Originally posted by bowah:
U got booking one...which lorongs? I no take call, just stand on the street, also got people ask..how much..tao raiWahahaha lorong taxi
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Grab taxi is becoming an essential taxi booking app for holidays. Gocatch also familiar app many people using in singapore for hailing cabs.
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Last time, I ever say before in my post.....
CDG just have to re-open their booking with destination.....
Smlj ants, cockroach, butterfly will all die cock stand.....
They want or don't want only.....
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ya nowadays CDG app booking only got destination but all anyhow come de for eg. like taxi stand,go hm , in front knn put like no put
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
Last time, I ever say before in my post.....
CDG just have to re-open their booking with destination.....
Smlj ants, cockroach, butterfly will all die cock stand.....
They want or don't want only.....
Haha..cdg calls, knn...smlj name and destination also have,..yesterday saw one call... Name: Mr Changi Airport Destination: North Bridge Road -
Originally posted by bowah:
Haha..cdg calls, knn...smlj name and destination also have,..yesterday saw one call... Name: Mr Changi Airport Destination: North Bridge Roadsome also put caller name dr xxxx
dr means free consultation ah
wahahaha