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Excellent Letter on the Taxi Industry

scroobal

Alfrescian
Loyal
http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/dont-blame-taxi-apps-for-meeting-commuter-needs
Don't blame taxi apps for meeting commuter needs

PUBLISHED6 HOURS AGO

I read Sunday's report ("Fare cuts by Uber, Grab will hurt sector: Taxi body") with incredulity and dismay.

It is unfair for the National Taxi Association (NTA) to criticise Grab and Uber's creative business strategies when some of the taxi body's members' bad behaviour is the source of the problem to begin with.

Time and again, commuters have complained about the unavailability of taxis without any clear response from the NTA to address the issue.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had to step in to introduce city area and other surcharges to entice taxi drivers to stay on the streets.

Now, a commuter booking a taxi in the Central Business District in the evening could be paying close to $10 without the taxi having moved an inch - three times the regular flagdown fare.

Still, these measures did not improve the availability of taxis, and the LTA subsequently imposed a 250km daily coverage requirement.

These reactive measures would have been unnecessary if taxi drivers were meeting commuters' needs in the first place.

Even today, the bad behaviour persists - choosing customers by destination, zooming by taxi queues or hiding in carparks to wait for bookings to come in, not accepting electronic payment and disappearing before the surcharges kick in.

What has the NTA done to change taxi drivers' mindsets?

A taxi driver's profession is a service job, and the rules have changed with technology and customer expectations.

If taxi drivers aren't willing to adapt, commuters will readily find alternative service providers who meet their needs, regardless of price.

Taxi drivers, too, have the option of joining third-party taxi app firms.

One cannot blame entrepreneurship for solving customers' problems, and most certainly, one cannot ask to be saved from a fire while fanning the embers.

Gurmit Singh Kullar
 

scroobal

Alfrescian
Loyal
http://theindependent.sg/how-can-politicians-run-taxi-association-to-advise-cabbies/
How can politicians run taxi association to advise cabbies?
By The Independent - April 25, 2016 4 4244
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By: 永久浪客/Forever Vagabond

It was reported in ST on Sunday (http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fare-cuts-by-uber-grab-will-hurt-sector-taxi-body) that the so-called National Taxi Association (NTA) is criticising about the recent price cuts by Grab and Uber, saying they not only hit their drivers’ earnings but, if left unchecked, could also hurt the taxi industry and commuters.
“It’s an unhealthy and unsustainable business strategy,” said NTA executive adviser Ang Hin Kee, who is also a PAP MP in Ang Mo Kio GRC.

On April 14, Uber cut fares by an average of 15 per cent followed later by Grab, which slashed its prices by up to 14 per cent.

Mr Ang said cab companies are now under pressure to lower their fares but stated that “we don’t want to go down this road”. Mr Ang, only an adviser of NTA, has become its spokesperson.

NTA run by PAP politicians

According to its website (http://www.nta.org.sg/about-us/who-we-are.html), NTA is said to be affiliated to NTUC. “We welcome all taxi drivers in Singapore to join us,” its website stated.

The association appears to be run by a “council of advisors”, made up of PAP politicians:
1. Chan Chun Sing – Chairman (Tanjong Pagar GRC MP)
2. Ang Hin Kee – Executive (Ang Mo Kio GRC MP)
3. Ong Ye Kung (Sembawang GRC MP)
4. Edwin Tong (Marine Parade GRC MP)
5. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon GRC MP)
6. Seng Han Thong (former Ang Mo Kio GRC MP)

Except for Seng Han Thong, all the rest are current PAP MPs. Mr Seng, by the way, was attacked by a 74-year-old disgruntled ex-taxi driver some years ago. He felt that Mr Seng was not taking any action to help him regain his lost taxi licence. The old man, who was formerly with ComfortDelGro, punched Mr Seng leaving him with a bruised lip during a meet-the-people session.

Given that the council of advisors are politicians who haven’t even driven a taxi before, are they in a position to “advise” our Singaporean cabbies? It’s ironical, if not comical, to hear that an adviser to a taxi association was himself punched by a former taxi driver over taxi matters.

Cabby to MP Ang: You don’t speak for us

James Lim, who lost his job in his late fifties and couldn’t find a suitable one, became a taxi driver. He writes well and regularly blogs about his life as a cabby.

When ST put up a news report last year (‘Cabbies cry foul over rival drivers’, 30 May 2015), quoting NTA adviser Ang accusing transport app providers and rental car companies of “creaming off profits”, Mr Lim immediately wrote on his blog to refute MP Ang (http://cabby65.blogspot.sg/2015/05/thank-you-uber-grabtaxi-hailo-and.html).

He wrote, “In the first place, the news article reported mainly the opinions of a single person, Mr. Ang Hin Kee, who is NOT a cabby but an adviser of the National Taxi Association (NTA) and a Ang Mo Kio GRC, Member of Parliament. Undoubtedly, his views cannot be depictive of Singaporean cabbies in general.”

“To me, he seems more like a spokesman of COMFORT which Temasek has an interest than of Singaporean cabbies,” Mr Lim added.

“I think Mr. Ang is essentially saying that COMFORT is the only taxi operator whose profits from taxi booking is now being ‘creamed off’ by these companies because others taxi operators like Premier, Transcab, SMRT or Prime are not affected as they inherently have very few taxi booking jobs to begin with. Consequently, my heading for the news article would instead be ‘COMFORT cry foul over transport providers app’,” opined Mr Lim.

Mr Lim said that these 3rd party taxi booking apps has turned out to be the “best things that ever happened to Singaporean cabbies”. Opportunities and options to earn more are open to all taxi drivers. He noted that many COMFORT cabbies are using the 3rd party apps to do more booking jobs to earn more.

Mr Lim is also of the view that cabbies who have their own car can dump cab firms like COMFORT so as to use their own car instead.

He explained, “This is a disaster scenario for taxi owners like COMFORT. It is an expensive operation to constantly keep a large fleet of taxis on the streets of Singapore. COMFORT’s main source of revenue is what they receive from the rental fees of drivers, so if too many cabs stand empty for too long, COMFORT will not only had their profits ‘creamed off’ but will face bankruptcy.”

“Now, for the first time ever, taxi operators will have to give serious consideration to how their actions affect the lives of their drivers. If they are wise, they should think of how to improve the working conditions of their drivers – like reducing the 250 km minimum mileage, high rental, indiscriminate sacking, repair costs and so on,” he added.

Lastly, Mr Lim felt good that the mighty COMFORT for once has been brought to its knees.

Mr Lim asked in jest, “Hey, COMFORT, do you want your drivers to desert you? The days of your authoritarian, arrogant, uncaring and high-handed attitudes towards your drivers need to change. Remember, they are your partners not employees!”

Indeed, with technology and the Internet these days, even authoritarian regimes like those in the middle-east can be brought down to their knees.

Meanwhile, it’s not known NTA, “advised” by 6 PAP politicians would be brought to its knees by these 3rd party transport app providers.
 

Thick Face Black Heart

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
One cannot blame entrepreneurship for solving customers' problems, and most certainly, one cannot ask to be saved from a fire while fanning the embers.

Gurmit Singh Kullar



That was indeed a good letter. Short, sharp and sweet and to the point.

Mr GSK should point out that the government should stop playing hockey with the taxi issue and admit that its GLCs have become uncompetitive and complacent. No different from Malaysian taxi companies who failed to protect their own taxi drivers and then this led bloody confrontations between rival taxi drivers and even law enforcement issues where cabbies actually physically pulled passengers out of Grab cars. Here in Singapore our own GLCs also have been reactive and failed miserably. And furthermore, our taxi operators have failed to solve long standing problems like cabbies hiding in carparks and waiting for surcharges to kick in, mismatch between peak hour demand and availability, cabbies collectively ending their shifts at the precise time when demand is going up, CBD area availability remains a problem, etc.
 

LEGEND

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Why blame the taxi drivers? Booking fee big fuck? They have to pay for the ERP charges going into CBD to pick up riders. If the government sincerely wants to help, remove ERP charges for Taxi.
 

LEGEND

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
How much is the booking fee? Go check out the ERP charges in CBD during evening peak. Tell me, would you want to pick up booking in CBD area.
 

krafty

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
this singh is talking thru his arse, he doesn't know that those uber drivers with bad attitude are either sacked from comfort or defected from transcab(this is where the errant drivers come from) and among the uber dirvers, are those new kids on the block. the most important thing about taxi driving is safety, other criteria for taxi drivers are bull shit. to say that he is expecting a typical taxi driver to go thru an etiquette class, please lah for god sake, you dun expect taxi driver to be as educated as an Uni. grad. right, if not what for drive taxi? my situation was different then, I was intimidated by lky's cronies and i have no job for me cos' his cronies fuck me big time. if what i say is not true, tonight i will drive my car over the moon but in OZ not sinkieland. just saying...:biggrin:
 

red amoeba

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
this singh is talking thru his arse, he doesn't know that those uber drivers with bad attitude are either sacked from comfort or defected from transcab(this is where the errant drivers come from) and among the uber dirvers, are those new kids on the block. the most important thing about taxi driving is safety, other criteria for taxi drivers are bull shit. to say that he is expecting a typical taxi driver to go thru an etiquette class, please lah for god sake, you dun expect taxi driver to be as educated as an Uni. grad. right, if not what for drive taxi? my situation was different then, I was intimidated by lky's cronies and i have no job for me cos' his cronies fuck me big time. if what i say is not true, tonight i will drive my car over the moon but in OZ not sinkieland. just saying...:biggrin:

My experiences w uber is good. The Drivers r professional n unlike cabbies want to talk to u abt politics n critic pap. I even got an Ang moh uber driver before.

What's more striking, I encountered a deaf uber driver but it's no issue as he managed to bring me to my destination. I will say without uber he won't enjoy such financial independence.
 

krafty

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
My experiences w uber is good. The Drivers r professional n unlike cabbies want to talk to u abt politics n critic pap. I even got an Ang moh uber driver before.

What's more striking, I encountered a deaf uber driver but it's no issue as he managed to bring me to my destination. I will say without uber he won't enjoy such financial independence.

more likely the good uber driver is new, let him drive for another few years, see if he can maintain his 'politeness'. more likely, he will turn pek chek after driving on the road for a while, then you will know "bahwu". there are also drivers who are handicapped that are driving taxis. I am not so sure about how taxi companies view handicapped applications but i have seen for myself a young chap who was using a tongkat, driving a taxi.
 

Debonerman

Alfrescian
Loyal
My experiences w uber is good. The Drivers r professional n unlike cabbies want to talk to u abt politics n critic pap. I even got an Ang moh uber driver before.

What's more striking, I encountered a deaf uber driver but it's no issue as he managed to bring me to my destination. I will say without uber he won't enjoy such financial independence.

Stop parroting the taxi app companies' line lah! Financial independence driving for Uber? Deaf? You another champion for the disabled? You know what is the meaning of financial independence? You get that driving a taxi? You must be another PAP fucked brain. Because if according to your assertions the taxi problem is now solved. I know you. You are another one of the gay cheebyes here except that you are not a member of the forum's gay cheebye gang......LOL......LOL


Watch it......you are now being scoped.......LOL
 

Debonerman

Alfrescian
Loyal
http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/dont-blame-taxi-apps-for-meeting-commuter-needs
Don't blame taxi apps for meeting commuter needs

PUBLISHED6 HOURS AGO

I read Sunday's report ("Fare cuts by Uber, Grab will hurt sector: Taxi body") with incredulity and dismay.

It is unfair for the National Taxi Association (NTA) to criticise Grab and Uber's creative business strategies when some of the taxi body's members' bad behaviour is the source of the problem to begin with.

Time and again, commuters have complained about the unavailability of taxis without any clear response from the NTA to address the issue.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had to step in to introduce city area and other surcharges to entice taxi drivers to stay on the streets.

Now, a commuter booking a taxi in the Central Business District in the evening could be paying close to $10 without the taxi having moved an inch - three times the regular flagdown fare.

Still, these measures did not improve the availability of taxis, and the LTA subsequently imposed a 250km daily coverage requirement.

These reactive measures would have been unnecessary if taxi drivers were meeting commuters' needs in the first place.

Even today, the bad behaviour persists - choosing customers by destination, zooming by taxi queues or hiding in carparks to wait for bookings to come in, not accepting electronic payment and disappearing before the surcharges kick in.

What has the NTA done to change taxi drivers' mindsets?

A taxi driver's profession is a service job, and the rules have changed with technology and customer expectations.

If taxi drivers aren't willing to adapt, commuters will readily find alternative service providers who meet their needs, regardless of price.

Taxi drivers, too, have the option of joining third-party taxi app firms.

One cannot blame entrepreneurship for solving customers' problems, and most certainly, one cannot ask to be saved from a fire while fanning the embers.

Gurmit Singh Kullar

Of all colors of the rainbow it has to be a shitskin to defend commuters' interest. Ever waited in a taxi q behind one or a bunch shitskins? Now really watch taxis zooming by!.....LOL.....Choosing customers by destination? Well fuck the LTA for allowing them to change shifts. Hiding in carparks? A Comfort taxi driver told me he is part of an exclusive group that Comfort has programmed to cruise around with busy signs and yet receive on call job offers. Now bayi bastard go fuck Comfort. Bayi motherfucker talk about "regardless of price." Fuck his mother's cheebye!
 

shiokalingam

Alfrescian
Loyal
http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/dont-blame-taxi-apps-for-meeting-commuter-needs
Don't blame taxi apps for meeting commuter needs

PUBLISHED6 HOURS AGO

I read Sunday's report ("Fare cuts by Uber, Grab will hurt sector: Taxi body") with incredulity and dismay.

It is unfair for the National Taxi Association (NTA) to criticise Grab and Uber's creative business strategies when some of the taxi body's members' bad behaviour is the source of the problem to begin with.

Time and again, commuters have complained about the unavailability of taxis without any clear response from the NTA to address the issue.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had to step in to introduce city area and other surcharges to entice taxi drivers to stay on the streets.

Now, a commuter booking a taxi in the Central Business District in the evening could be paying close to $10 without the taxi having moved an inch - three times the regular flagdown fare.

Still, these measures did not improve the availability of taxis, and the LTA subsequently imposed a 250km daily coverage requirement.

These reactive measures would have been unnecessary if taxi drivers were meeting commuters' needs in the first place.

Even today, the bad behaviour persists - choosing customers by destination, zooming by taxi queues or hiding in carparks to wait for bookings to come in, not accepting electronic payment and disappearing before the surcharges kick in.

What has the NTA done to change taxi drivers' mindsets?

A taxi driver's profession is a service job, and the rules have changed with technology and customer expectations.

If taxi drivers aren't willing to adapt, commuters will readily find alternative service providers who meet their needs, regardless of price.

Taxi drivers, too, have the option of joining third-party taxi app firms.

One cannot blame entrepreneurship for solving customers' problems, and most certainly, one cannot ask to be saved from a fire while fanning the embers.

Gurmit Singh Kullar



its a sad day for all taxi drivers in Singapore .
if this letter cleared the SPH vetting machinery and allowed to be
printed. Surely Dr Lee Wei Ling letters deserved immediate publication. :smile:
 

Debonerman

Alfrescian
Loyal
I recently witnessed a Comfort taxi which stopped 20 meters from where I was at about 2 am in the morning in the Yio Chu Kang area. A minute later from the back seat a young Caucasian lady popped out of the taxi and into the ground. She was wearing a short skirt and her legs were splayed apart. The taxi driver came around and was seen talking to her but she was unresponsive. I saw him talking frantically on his phone and before long an ambulance arrived. End of story. I bet a 21 year old Uber or Grab driver may take the opportunity to put a finger or two under her panties. Plausible?........LOL.......LOL
 

enterprise2

Alfrescian
Loyal
That's exactly what's wrong with the whole Singapore model! Current establishment want to make rules to protect their turf. And what they r doing is providing screw up service but it's ok because they r 'protected'!
 

Debonerman

Alfrescian
Loyal
That was indeed a good letter. Short, sharp and sweet and to the point.

Mr GSK should point out that the government should stop playing hockey with the taxi issue and admit that its GLCs have become uncompetitive and complacent. No different from Malaysian taxi companies who failed to protect their own taxi drivers and then this led bloody confrontations between rival taxi drivers and even law enforcement issues where cabbies actually physically pulled passengers out of Grab cars. Here in Singapore our own GLCs also have been reactive and failed miserably. And furthermore, our taxi operators have failed to solve long standing problems like cabbies hiding in carparks and waiting for surcharges to kick in, mismatch between peak hour demand and availability, cabbies collectively ending their shifts at the precise time when demand is going up, CBD area availability remains a problem, etc.

I've never found reasons to disagree with you. But for once can I ask you if you have ever experienced KL taxi drivers' antics? For the commuters there taxi apps are a godsend. No more need to deal with long circuitous routes. No more refusals to use taxi meters. Those pigs got themselves straighten out.
 

Thick Face Black Heart

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
I've never found reasons to disagree with you. But for once can I ask you if you have ever experienced KL taxi drivers' antics? For the commuters there taxi apps are a godsend. No more need to deal with long circuitous routes. No more refusals to use taxi meters. Those pigs got themselves straighten out.


Agree that taxi apps are a godsend for commuters. The point i was making is that the problem is taxi companies who refuse to adapt and leave their cabbies out to dry. Then the cabbies feel threatened and feel the need to take the law into their own hands

Agree also that cabbies themselves need a wake up call and they share the blame
 

lifeafter41

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
My experiences w uber is good. The Drivers r professional n unlike cabbies want to talk to u abt politics n critic pap. I even got an Ang moh uber driver before.

What's more striking, I encountered a deaf uber driver but it's no issue as he managed to bring me to my destination. I will say without uber he won't enjoy such financial independence.

A friend of mine was relating his experience when he was in California, San Mateo. He took an Uber cab, and was chatting with the driver when he asked what do they make, the answer was around USD100k/ year. Just to be sure he did not hear wrongly, he asked the driver again and that was what he was told.

The driver was driving for about 2 years with uber. Told him he was very happy with the arrangement, he used his own vehicle to make the trips and it's a full time job for him. The driver likes the flexibility of it and is able to also ferry his kid around.

My thought is that the advent of technologies has made all these glc or taxi hiring model redundant.
Each and every driver is their own boss, no director fees or CEO salary to pay and piggy back on all these drivers.
 
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