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ComfortDelGro Corporation is revamping its
taxi fare structure to better match the demand for and supply of taxi
services at different times of the day. |
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The changes, which will come into effect on
17 December 2007, are aimed at making taxis more readily available to
commuters when they need it most. |
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These fare changes are the result of an
in-depth review of the taxi industry by the Group, taking into account
suggestions and feedback from the public which were received at the
Focus Group Discussions held earlier this year by the Land Transport
Authority as part of the Land Transport Review. |
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The changes, which also factored in feedback
from the taxi associations, took into consideration the higher operating
costs of taxis and serve to address the issues facing the taxi industry
including: |
- • Addressing commuters' concern on the difficulty in getting a cab
in the city in the evening
- • Simplifying taxi fares for the convenience of commuters
- • Encouraging call booking to better match the demand and supply
of taxis
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Encouraging taxis to take passengers from
the city area |
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a. City Area Surcharge Adjustment |
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City Area Surcharge |
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Current |
Revised |
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$1
Mon-Thu, 5pm-8pm
Fri & Sat, 5pm-11:30pm |
$3
Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight |
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It is a common complaint among commuters
that they are unable to get a cab from the city area during evening peak
hours. One reason for this is that many taxis leave the city centre for
the suburbs and drivers find little incentive to drive all the way back
to the city to pick new passengers up. |
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This situation is further exacerbated by the
fact that demand for taxis generally spikes in the city centre in the
evenings. |
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To attract drivers back to the city centre,
the Peak City Area Surcharge will be raised from $1 to $3. This
surcharge is payable on Mondays to Saturdays, between 5pm and midnight. |
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The Group is aware that with the higher
City Area Surcharge, it is possible that taxi drivers may refuse to
pick up passengers from taxi stands located at the city fringe.
Hence we will work closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA)
on possible ways to address this issue. |
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b. City ERP Rebate to drivers |
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Many drivers are reluctant to enter the
city area during the evening ERP hours on an empty cab as they are
not willing to pay the charges. |
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To provide drivers with the added
incentive to do so, ComfortDelGro will give all drivers who are
unable to get a passenger within 15 minutes of entering the ERP zone
an ERP rebate. This is possible through the use of our Escalade and
location tracking system. |
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Simplifying fares |
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a. Late Night Surcharge |
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Late Night Surcharge |
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Current |
Revised |
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11:30pm-11:44pm 10%
11:45pm-11:59pm 20%
12:00am-12:59am 35%
01:00am-05:59am 50% |
12:00 am -05:59am 50% of metered
fare |
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The Late Night Surcharge will be revised
back to 50% of the metered fare between midnight and 5.59am. This
revision should be viewed in conjunction with the City Area
Surcharge which ends just as the Late Night Surcharge begins. |
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In the past, when the Late Night
Surcharge was 50% of the total metered fare, there were complaints
of “disappearing” taxis. This is not expected to occur with the
revision given that the City Area Surcharge will be in force right
till midnight, giving little reason for taxi drivers in the city to
“hide”. |
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b. Peak Hour Fare Changes |
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Peak Period Charges |
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Current |
Revised |
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$2 flat rate
Mon-Fri, 7:00am-9:30am
Mon-Sat, 5:00pm-8:00pm
(not applicable on Public Holidays) |
35% of metered fare
Mon-Fri, 7:00am-9:30am
Mon-Sat, 5:00pm-8:00pm
(not applicable on Public Holidays) |
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Instead of a $2 flat rate Peak Hour
Surcharge, the metered fare during the peak hours will be adjusted
to include a premium of 35%. This will be automatically computed as
part of the metered fare – a detailed breakdown of which will be
shown on the receipt to ensure transparency. |
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Flag down fare increased |
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Basic Fare |
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Current |
Revised |
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Flag Down: $2.50 for 1st km
1km to 10km: $0.10 for every 210m
Above 10km: $0.10 for every 175m
Waiting time: $0.10 for every 25sec |
Flag Down: $2.80 for 1st km
1km to 10km: $0.20 for every 385m
Above 10km: $0.20 for every 330m
Waiting time: $0.20 for every 45sec |
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The flag down fare, the distance rate
and the waiting time will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the
cost of travel. With the changes, an average 9km trip will cost
$8.40 compared to the current $7.65, representing an increase of
10%. |
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Encouraging call booking |
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Current Booking Fee |
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Current |
Revised |
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Prime Time: $4
Mon-Fri
7:00am-9:30am
5:00pm-11:00pm
Non-Prime Time : $2.50
All other times including Sat, Sun & Public Holiday
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Prime Time: $3.50
Mon-Fri
7:00am-9:30am
5:00pm-11:00pm
Non-Prime Time : $2.50
All other times including Sat, Sun & Public Holiday
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Booking fees for all ComfortDelGro taxis
will be reduced from $4 to $3.50 during the prime hours. Booking
charges during non-prime hours will remain unchanged. |
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The changes in fare structure will raise
the cost of taxi services in Singapore and differentiate taxi
services from public transport services like bus and rail which do
not offer customers a point-to-point dedicated service. |
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Under the new pricing structure, the
bulk of ComfortDelGro’s taxi passengers – those who travel during
off-peak hours - will pay 10% more in fares. |
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All other passengers are expected to pay
between 18% and 49% more, depending on whether they hail a cab from
the city or the suburbs. |
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The greatest increase will be for trips
made in the city from Mondays to Thursdays, between 8pm and
midnight. The cost of an average 9km trip out of the city during
this peak period will cost about $11.40 compared to about $7.65
currently. |
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ComfortDelGro CEO (Taxi Business), Mr
Yang Ban Seng, said: "One of the top grouses of taxi commuters is
the difficulty of getting a taxi during peak periods particularly in
city areas and shopping belts. We have been looking at ways to best
address this issue and we think this fare revamp will better match
supply and demand of taxis. Our aim is to try and ensure that more
taxis will go to areas where they are needed most and at the times
they are wanted most." |
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More..... |
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Source:
www.delgro.com.sg Media
Release 10 Dec 2007 |
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FrontPage Edition: Wed 12 December 2007
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