Article- Irritating taxi surcharges
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Went through the old postings, not sure if someone posted this article.
Did surcharge created problems like less taxi at certains places and timings?
http://therealsingapore.com/content/irritating-taxi-surcharges
Last night (9 Mar), at around 7pm, a PRC couple in their early thirties boarded my taxi at Mandarin Hotel in Orchard Road and wanted me to take them to Night Safari in Mandai Road. I hit the fare meter and instinctively knew from years of dealings with PRC tourists that dark clouds of trouble would soon be forming in the horizon. From my rear mirror, I spied the couple starring at my fare meter with disbelief looks and mumbling with indignant expression on their faces. As anticipated, an angry voice soon pierced into my ear.
“Why your meter show two separate fares? the young man queried loudly in perfect American accent.
“Young man, you don’t have to shout. I can explain thoroughly”. I responded and wished I had not picked them earlier or I could kick them out of my cab instantly.
The various taxi surcharges in Singapore has given me a lots of trouble with tourists, as well as some locals till today. Explaining to those not familiar with our complex taxi surcharges is never a problem. I usually point to the stickers on the window specifying all the surcharges when they doubt my words and explanation. I also invite them to call a third party to verify my truthfulness. Sometime, I would halt my taxi and continue the trip only when they are fully satisfied and agreed to pay the surcharges.
I am not a pugnacious person but I get infuriated when some querulous customers used combative tone and is disrespectful when querying the metered fare they had to pay. Some, on rare occasion, simply refused to pay the surcharges at the end of the trip. Whichever the case, I usually bit the bullet and let them take advantage of an elderly driver. It is better to spend the time ferrying another passenger than waste it arguing with such scumbags or at police post writing statements of claim.
As a taxi driver, I find the various surcharges rather repugnant and confusing for commuters, though it helps to bring supply of taxis to demand at certain hours and places. Honestly, my earning had improved recently because of the many increased surcharges. On the other hand, many commuters are understandably pissed off with having to pay surcharges on top of the metered fair, like paying extras for having warm water in a restaurant.
I fail to understand why our our million dollar transport minister, with his team of brilliant scholars at LTA, is still not able to solve the dilemma of surcharges? After decades, they still say that taxi fares and surcharges are basically commercial decisions and therefore, Government do not intervene in commercial policies. To them, it’s the easiest way out of a complicated situation.
I am aware that individual taxi operators set the fare for their fleet. However, if LTA, as a regulatory body can mandate the minimum 250km/day rule to improve taxi availability by getting rid of taxi drivers who use the cab as a personal car, surely they can also mandate a restructure taxi fare rates in the same vein.
Now, has the current taxi surcharges outlived it’s purposes? Is a simplified taxi fare structure possible and workable? Do I have a suggestion?
Yes, hear me out. It might sound absurd.
1. Remove the 25% surcharge for peak hours in the morning and evening and 50% for mid-night, together with the $3 CBD surcharge completely. Instead, factor all these complex surcharges into two simple flat rates – normal and after midnight rates. Our LTA scholars can easily do the mathematics and produce the new simplified flat rates. Comfort or other taxi operators will not do it and I will explain why later.
No CBD surcharge? The whole of Singapore is now CBD with the new rate! No fuming commuters at fringes of CBD. Drivers will still go to where the crowds are.
2. No taxi at airport, cruise terminals, EXPO and RWS? Location and booking surcharges will remain.
3. Shangrila Hotel charges a higher room rate than Hotel 81. So, Chysler’s taxi will have a higher flag down fare and the fare meter will run faster than a Toyota Crown taxi..
The fare meter will now show only a single fare, except when location and booking surcharge are applicable.
If a simple normal and after midnight rates is implemented, taxi commuting will inevitably become more expensive like many things in Singapore. It will also become a premium mode of transport for those who can afford it, like in Tokyo, London and New York. Fringe taxi commuters will be eliminated and demand for taxis will drops drastically. Taxi drivers who cannot take the heat will leave the kitchen. Eventually, an optimum level will arrive where demand for taxis will meet availability, without confusing surcharges.
I dread such a day, as I would probably end up as a security guard or kitchen dish washer and helps to alleviate the shortage of workers in these industries. However, such a day will never come. Why?. Because, Comfort’s garages will be parked with thousands of redundant taxis when drivers leave them due to falling taxi commuters, resulting from my restructured meter fares! So, Comfort will never let that unthinkable situation of idling assets parking at garages to happen and therefore, will not change the status quo. Instead, they would try to muster as large a fleet of taxis as they can to popup their bottom line, with scant regards to taxi drivers survival. This is where and when LTA should step in to mandate them to set a simple, fair and sustainable taxi rates without drastic impacts or trade-offs for all stakeholders. I think LTA will continue to say that setting taxi rates is not their business. So, we are back to square one! sigh!!!.
Some people has the wrong assumption that taxis are essential public transport services like buses and trains. But they are not. Taxi companies are essentially private business enterprises and taxi drivers are self-employed workers, both without Government subsidies, though they operate under LTA regulations. It may be good to re-examine some old assumptions and make wide ranging changes. At the heart of every change, there will always be trade-offs and impacts. Most importantly, trade-offs and impact must be sensible and sustainable.
Now, coming back to the PRC couple. They paid the full fare at destination after my thorough explanation.
James Lim
*Article first appeared on http://cabby65.blogspot.sg
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Most taxi in other country that I know of do have different charges for different time of the day.......
Our taxi meter can set accordingly using tariff........
Currently the tariff in our meter only set distance, ie first 10km tariff 1, after 10km tariff 2.........
Why other country like Australia, their meter charges not confusing? Because they set total of 4 tariff(some city that I know of) within a day, but indirectly we can feel that their taxi are expensive, it don't show in the taxi meter but is explain properly in their meter fare chart........
We can follow suit? But our Goberment like to be transparent mah........
This TD talk cock la, how many times you will encounter people asking you what's your meter showing, than meter chart stick at rear window screen for pax to read mah..........
Kiam tio ho, Kay kiam.........
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maybe the TD just wanna show that his explanation is good and thorough.
Yah, actually need to explain meh?
so long never add the wrong surcharge, seal not tampered, why bother to even explain?
just tell them, you take any other cab, it's still the same. unless different flag down rate.
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" just pay , here the receipt , not happy go n complaint lta "
short n sharp
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kung smlj also no use . ..
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Never argue with the customer, they think you are the devil out to deceive and cheat them.
Let them argue with the Taxi Company or LTA.
If you neber do anything wrong,
They lun lun when they interview by LTA.
But some don't understand law, they dont pay.
or they take their risk because they know most TD will not pursue.
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All this surcharges not for us to explain lah, already pasted on the side window, either they read or take a receipt and kao peh to LTA......
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My famous quote to customer , classic one .
" here the receipt , my taxi number , NRIC all there . In the event if u think i had wrongfully overcharging you , pls proceed to LTA , and if LTA say yes , i am cheating , i will pay u back the fare "double" , plus a $100 ang pao for your trouble , plus ... plus fined $300 by LTA and suspension 1 month , how about that ?"
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"I scared you run only , u no need scared i run ."
" so pay up "
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dun say prc la, i got one germam businessman who ask me, "the fees seem cheaper this morning". i say "we have peak hour, CBD surcharges". angmo not happy with my answer, at the end of the trip, i tell him "nah, receipt here, $12 please.".
angmo lan lan, pay and go.
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Originally posted by eurocab:
All this surcharges not for us to explain lah, already pasted on the side window, either they read or take a receipt and kao peh to LTA......
laugh until peng, on my first week on the road, i took a chiobu, from CBD to redhill around 10am. fare was $5.5, i punch in $3 surcharge. chiobu says, cannot be, everyday i ride, fare not so much. i say, got cbd mah, dun believe, check the sticker beside u. lady very angry, she says, ok i want a receipt. suddenly, doubt raise in .my mimd, so i sayaiya, oklaokla, $5.5 la.
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don't see westerners making much noise, its the china bums damn annoying.
few week back pick from mandarin orchard to conrad and mbs, ranting and raving never call cab, told them off, check the fare listing.
Last night best, flag down opposite 1 Fullerton. "I want go meritus mandarin orchard"
Ok ok, turn left and left, after drive thru fort canning tunnel,"why you driving opposite way" This one F starightaway, " the one you saw just now is mandarin oriental you stupid f"
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Ya loh. AMK buay complain one. They wun make noise one. You press smlj surcharges they will pay one. Best is those on business trip ah Kong pay they dun care. The most the ask about the extra I just need to tell them peak hour surcharges then they Ok.
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Got.....I kenna 2 AMK before use AMEX then ask what is the 10% admin fee.....
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Originally posted by eurocab:
Got.....I kenna 2 AMK before use AMEX then ask what is the 10% admin fee.....
Aiya. Got thick to parang them one. Tonight I teach you lah.
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Originally posted by oldlee:
laugh until peng, on my first week on the road, i took a chiobu, from CBD to redhill around 10am. fare was $5.5, i punch in $3 surcharge. chiobu says, cannot be, everyday i ride, fare not so much. i say, got cbd mah, dun believe, check the sticker beside u. lady very angry, she says, ok i want a receipt. suddenly, doubt raise in .my mimd, so i sayaiya, oklaokla, $5.5 la.
10am got CBD surcharge? And why key in surcharge only after destination?
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Originally posted by cyben764:
10am got CBD surcharge? And why key in surcharge only after destination?
he realised his mistake lah. haha
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Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:
Ya loh. AMK buay complain one. They wun make noise one. You press smlj surcharges they will pay one. Best is those on business trip ah Kong pay they dun care. The most the ask about the extra I just need to tell them peak hour surcharges then they Ok.
most amks just laf at the surcharges. i laf tgt with them lor.
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If cannot convince them, confuse them lor........