Problems that the million-dollar ministers are not solving

[melzp]

Your picture: Walkway blocked by shopkeepers’ goods​

PHOTO: SHAN MUGAM SIDAMBARAM

Oct 28, 2022

I refer to the article, “Deepavali celebrations back in full swing after two years” (Oct 24).
The report cited the honorary secretary of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association saying the association was “expecting easily four to five million visitors over the course of the month”.
Given the number of visitors it was expecting over the month, the association should have worked with its members to ensure a safe and pleasant shopping experience.
My recent shopping experience in Little India was an unpleasant one, as shopkeepers had placed articles on the five-foot way in a manner that severely restricted pedestrian movements. Items such as baskets of coconuts, mangoes, and banana leaves were placed on the pedestrian walkways.
I witnessed parents with prams and the elderly having a tough time getting past the obstructions, with some choosing instead to walk on the busy road where they could to avoid the congestion.
This has been happening in Little India during major festive seasons like Pongal and Tamil New Year.
I hope the relevant authorities will act against inconsiderate shopkeepers who place profits above the safety of their customers.

Shan Mugam Sidambaram

This Buffalo Rd is a mockery of LTA and relevant Agencies.

The numerous CCTVs may not be working or for deterrent shows ?

The parking on zig-zag lines for delivery are always causing traffic jams and what more, the green grills(in pix)
are removed/destroyed for deliveries by Malaysian suppliers/merchants there.

And when you reported, they will tell you that "you do not need an answer of their operation".

 

[Eisenhut]

Kumlan article for sheeps. Somebody breathe in Toxic humes, so we should all stop breathing?

 

[birdie69]

The ministers sit and do nothing of the property price pushed up by foreigners, many middle income local not eligible to buy HDB flat, also can't afford to buy a condo

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

Each family should be entitled to a "one car" without having to pay COE and high import taxes. Its a disincentive if families are penalised as cars are essential in any family.

Melayu Mudslime only female camel

 

[Karmile005]

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

S'pore Grab user: Drivers refuse to cancel, don't show up, waste time & wait for higher surge pricing, as they're likely on multiple apps​

It is a drivers' market these days.
Belmont Lay | Nixon Tan | February 07, 2023

There is a dearth of taxis and private hire vehicles in Singapore now that the pandemic is about done and dusted, with many commuters here experiencing longer waiting times to get a ride.


The latest Public Transport Council's 2022 point-to-point transport services customer satisfaction survey out on Feb. 6 found that passengers' satisfaction with taxi and private hire car services dropped in 2022, with the score for waiting time falling the most.
And this is due to a shortage of drivers for taxis and private hire vehicles, with many not returning to the industry just yet.
A Grab spokesperson told CNA: "Our current supply of driver-partners is at about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of pre-Covid days while demand has increased with the opening of borders and economies."

Drivers get to pick and choose​

One Grab app user has written in to Mothership to highlight the extent of the problem of getting a ride these days.
With commuters competing with one another to board a vehicle and with drivers using multiple platforms to pick passengers, it has since become a drivers' market.
According to the commuter, he reckoned that drivers are taking advantage of the situation by using multiple apps to match with the highest surge pricing fare at the moment.
This comes at the expense of the commuter as some drivers do not even have the basic courtesy of informing passengers they have no intention of picking them up as they are going to another location to pick another higher-paying commuter.
Mothership has reached out to Grab for comment on this issue and will update this article when we get a response.

Surge pricing antics​

This is the Grab user's experience:
I am writing to you to highlight a certain practice by Grab drivers: They receive a booking and accept it, but realise that there is a price surge.
They then refuse to cancel the job and wait for the passenger -- who is waiting for them -- to cancel the booking instead.
This results in time wasted for the passenger, while the driver has probably switched to another app and accepted a booking with a fare that has surged.
I presume this practice of using multiple apps at the same time and picking and choosing jobs is due to the algorithm favouring drivers who do not cancel bookings, which allows them to keep passengers waiting with no intention of picking them up eventually.
From a lay person's understanding, Grab apparently operates on a "strike system", whereby drivers get "one strike" after showing behaviour like this.
However, I do not believe this is working given that this has happened to me twice in the space of two months, both between 9pm and 10pm on a weeknight -- peak period for people going home.
This was what happened to me.

First incident​

The first instance occurred on Dec. 1, 2022.
I booked a Grab ride home from work.
The booking was accepted at 8:53pm with the waiting time listed as 8 minutes.
I then realised that the driver was driving away from my location, and the waiting time climbed to 14 minutes.
The driver then texted me via the Grab app to say that he is “far away”.
When I attempted to cancel the booking, I was informed by the app that fares were S$10 higher than my original booking.
I’ve attached screenshots from this incident:

Second incident​

Most recently, this happened again.
I booked a grab at 8:51pm, with the car 6 minutes away.
The driver did not move, and cancelled on me at 9:14pm, 23 minutes after the booking was made.
Fare had surged from S$16.80 to S$22.80 when I next checked.

Offered S$3 discount once​

Of course, when I wrote in to Grab on both occasions, the driver was “given one strike” based on company policy.
In the first instance, I was provided S$3 off my next ride as a form of apology, while in the second instance, no compensation was offered.

Why do drivers get away with this?​

My reasoning: If Grab imposes a late fee on passengers who make drivers wait, shouldn’t Grab then impose a late fee on drivers who make passengers wait as well?
I can understand that drivers want to make as much money as they possibly can.
However, they should then not accept the booking in the first place, or at least take it on the chin and cancel on their end, if they would like the surge fare profit.
I am bringing this up to see how widespread this practice is and hopefully induce some change at some meaningful level.
Otherwise, Grab will continue to get away with taking advantage of Singaporeans' time and money.
Grab User

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Thankfully there is the Opposition to finally force the PAP government to instruct the HDB to ramp up the building of public housing

HDB to ramp up BTO projects, with 150 to be built at same time by 2025​

For many years before the pandemic, application rates for BTO flats were low and resale prices were soft but when Covid-19 hit, housing demand shot up. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Michelle Ng
Housing Correspondent

Feb 8, 2023

SINGAPORE - Singapore has ramped up its public housing programme to meet the current strong demand.
About 100 Build-To-Order (BTO) projects are currently under construction, and this will increase to about 150 concurrent BTO projects by around 2025, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Tuesday.
Responding to several MPs on why the Housing Board did not build more flats at a faster clip, Mr Lee said HDB is already “building aggressively and at large scale”.
“By contract value, this makes the HDB the largest housing developer and it also exceeds all the other private residential housing contracts combined by more than 50 per cent,” he said in a speech to close a 12-hour debate on affordable and accessible public housing that spanned two days, with 26 MPs speaking.
Mr Lee noted that HDB is not the only developer ramping up building and construction to catch up on Covid-19-related delays suffered in existing projects as the pandemic began to subside.
“Fiscal resources, foreign manpower and construction capacity are not without limits,” he said.
Mr Lee noted that some MPs, including Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, Workers’ Party (WP) MP Louis Chua and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa, have suggested that the Government has underestimated demand and under-built the supply of flats.


The Government has models that take into account marriages, births, deaths, income levels, economic conditions and other factors, but it is not a “perfect science”, he said. It also cannot account for sudden shocks and their impact on human psychology and market behaviour.
For instance, for many years before the pandemic, application rates for BTO flats were low and resale prices were soft but when Covid-19 hit, housing demand shot up, he said.
Mr Lee cautioned that the housing market is highly sentiment-driven and demand can suddenly appear, or disappear, overnight. He cited how housing demand fell after the Asian financial crisis struck in 1997, and HDB ended up with 31,000 unsold flats, which took more than five years to clear.

While the unintended oversupply meant that home buyers could walk in to buy ready flats in the early 2000s, others who bought flats just before the crisis ended up with negative equity.
“The many unsold flats represented a waste of taxpayers’ money. The holding costs incurred from holding the vacant housing stock are not inconsequential; money that could have been well spent on other uses in healthcare, education and other areas,” said Mr Lee.
He reiterated that public housing has to be kept affordable and accessible, not just for the current generation of Singaporeans but also future generations.
Cautioning against robbing future generations of land or fiscal resources by lowering BTO flat prices now, Mr Lee set out why the Government disagrees with the PSP’s proposals and its motion.
“We believe that we must maintain housing accessibility and affordability while keeping sustainability in mind, and uphold a culture of politics where we discuss hard truths and trade-offs in a transparent manner, even if these may not be popular,” he said.
PSP Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai had proposed that Singaporeans who buy a BTO flat and live in it their entire lives be exempted from paying for land costs. They would pay for land costs with accrued interest only when they sell their flats in the resale market.
Rebutting his proposal, Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah said the PSP scheme is effectively a “national prepaid rental with an option to buy” where the “user” pays rental upfront and has the option to own the flat by paying a deferred land cost.


On WP MPs Leon Perera and Gerald Giam’s proposal to peg non-mature estate home prices at three times the median annual household income, Mr Lee said the current ratio stands at around five for non-mature estates and around three or less for lower-income households.
Importantly, the vast majority use their CPF monies to pay their mortgages with little to no cash, which gives a sense that BTO flats are broadly affordable, said Mr Lee.
“While the (WP) proposal sounds attractive, it ignores the trade-off that far lower prices would attract even more flat applicants. It also does not address the windfall gains enjoyed by flat buyers, some of whom may be from the higher-income groups,” he said.
“How do you ensure the affordability of the resale market over time? That dogmatic proposal achieves none of that. And so, we think this is one-dimensional,” added Mr Lee

Mr Singh, who was the last MP to speak, proposed to amend Mr Lee’s motion to call on the Government to intensify its efforts to keep public housing affordable and accessible.
Concluding his speech, Mr Lee acknowledged that the public housing system is not perfect.
“There are things we need to improve today and tomorrow. But to say it is fundamentally, through and through, unaffordable and inaccessible and needs a radical change of the kind that (Mr Leong) is proposing together with his party, is something we cannot accept.”
Parliament later voted to pass Mr Lee’s motion. It rejected Mr Singh’s amendment and Mr Leong’s motion.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Even a court order has not helped to protect us from chain-smoking neighbour​

Feb 11, 2023

A chain-smoking neighbour exposes my family to smoke every single day. The chain smoking starts as early as 4am and ends at midnight.
The exposure to toxic second-hand smoke has greatly affected our health, living and lives. My mother often suffers from coughing and throat irritation, which make it difficult for her to eat as she chokes easily.
Sometimes, the cigarette smell is so overwhelming that we have difficulty breathing. In addition, the smoke pollutes our house and makes it smell like the smoking corner of a coffee shop.
The incessant cigarette smoking indicates addiction. The side effect of nicotine addiction is that the smoker can become easily irritated and hostile when approached for a conversation. He becomes a health threat not only to himself but also to people around him, including innocent neighbours.
We obtained a court order from the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals in June 2022, but this was not enough to stop the smoking. We then applied for a special direction and are now waiting for a hearing in March.
We urge the court to criminalise the act of chain smoking, which exposes others to ill health effects. Such a step would protect vulnerable people, and create a safer living environment.
The court should order chain smokers to undergo mandatory rehabilitation as a way to stop addictive smoking. They can be taught nicotine replacement therapy by using nicotine patches or nicotine gum. These are tobacco products that do not emit smoke or smell.

A financial penalty is also needed to ensure compliance with the law and to discourage a return to the habit.
Through these measures, I hope that the suffering caused by chain smoking will be reduced.

Chong Ling Eng

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

50 cents for milk in fish soup, 20 cents for bean curd syrup: Rising prices or profiteering?​

Some take advantage of inflation and the GST hike to mark up prices, say hawkers and F&B owners The Straits Times spoke to. But it’s hard to tell where the line between profiteering, and passing on real costs, begins and ends.​

Diners here have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges. PHOTO: ST FILE
Andrew Wong

Feb 12, 2023

SINGAPORE – Over the last few months, Singaporeans have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges.
One customer said she was asked to pay 20 cents for extra sugar syrup at Rochor Original Beancurd in Geylang. Another was stumped by the 50 cents he was charged for evaporated milk in his fish soup at a Kopitiam foodcourt.
Are customers being fleeced – or are those in the food and beverage (F&B) sector truly suffering from inflation and the goods and services tax (GST) hike, and having to pass on the costs to customers?
“Everybody thinks the GST hike is only 1 per cent and wouldn’t affect us that much,” Mr Lim Min Jie, owner and chef of Braise, a stall specialising in braised meats at Golden Mile Food Centre, told The Straits Times.
The 46-year-old said that after accounting for the price changes across his supply chain, the cost price of his ingredients has already gone up between 5 per cent and 10 per cent. “A lot of people don’t look at it that way, so it’s quite tough for us. There are some people who will say we are making use of the GST hike to increase our prices.”
His sentiment is shared by others in the industry.
“Many customers have been understanding of the price revisions, but we can’t say the same for all,” said Ms Najeera Roseni at the family-owned House of Samosas in MacPherson Road.

For instance, the cost of fresh chicken from her supplier went up from $6.50 per kg at the start of 2022, to $9.50 per kg, and is now $12.50 per kg before GST.
The 28-year-old said many customers have tried to ask for discounts; others simply stopped coming. “Our corporate orders also shrank significantly in January,” she added.
Despite that, she said she understood customers’ concern that F&B businesses may be engaging in profiteering. “There’s no smoke without fire – I do think there are some out there who take advantage of the inflation to mark up their prices,” she said, adding that while businesses’ cost prices have no doubt increased, their price revisions have to be realistic.

The Committee Against Profiteering said it received 286 feedback submissions from April 1, 2022, to Jan 31, 2023, of which 26 involved specific allegations of GST misrepresentation. It has worked with partner agencies such as the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore, and the People’s Association to engage those businesses.
Those businesses have committed to being more transparent with their pricing, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a written reply to a parliamentary question last Monday.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling said in a parliamentary reply in January that the Federation of Merchants’ Associations Singapore and the Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore have conducted outreach and walkabouts at coffee shops, Housing Board shops and hawker centres to remind their members of the need to be transparent about their pricing.

Not clear if businesses are profiteering​

Inflation in Singapore reached decade highs in 2022, spurred by supply-side disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors. And it showed up in the prices of Singaporeans’ favourite dishes.
Data from the Department of Statistics shows that a plate of chicken rice cost an average of $3.38 at the start of 2019. This rose to $4.08 by the end of 2022.

“Before the GST hike, we’d already seen other sources of inflationary pressures seeping into the entire value chain,” said DBS Bank senior economist Irvin Seah, adding that some businesses would have had no choice but to pass on the cost to their customers.
OCBC Bank chief economist Selena Ling said that food inflation, including hawker prices, will likely be sustained in the near term to play catch-up.
Li Na Fishball Noodle owner Jeevan Ananthan, who gave up a comfortable career in finance to set up the hawker stall with his wife, could not agree more.
Utilities, rental and ingredient prices – “literally everything” – have shot up for him in recent weeks, said the 31-year-old.

Tough to sustain low prices​

But were hawker prices too low to begin with?
This is debatable, but one of the key features of hawker food has always been competitive pricing, said Ms Ling.

Professor Lawrence Loh, director of the National University of Singapore Business School’s Centre for Governance and Sustainability, said that historically, prices of hawker food have remained low due to containment of costs. “The low prices cannot be sustained if there are high pressures on the cost side, but we need to be mindful of profiteering too,” he said.
Ms Ling pointed out that it is not so straightforward to determine if hawkers or F&B businesses are overpricing their goods.
There is also a time lag in passing on cost increases. “Many could not raise prices over the last three years due to the pandemic and weak demand, so they had to absorb any cost increases,” she said.
But as the economy slowly reopened in 2022, demand has also strengthened, she added.
Hence, these hawkers and businesses became more confident in passing on some of the cumulative cost increases.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Getting kids to school shouldn’t be so hard​

Feb 15, 2023

I can empathise with parents facing troubles over transport for their children at St Stephen’s School (School takes action to ease bus woes, Jan 30; Little choice but to rely on school buses, say parents, Feb 6).
I have four children: two in different primary schools, one in pre-school and the youngest is a baby.
My eldest child is in an all-girls school. Seven years ago when our second child was born, my husband and I took pains to buy a flat that was within 1km of an all-boys school for our son, as my husband is not an alumnus of any school in Singapore.
Regrettably, when we attempted to enrol the boy into that school, we were twice unsuccessful with the balloting process, and we had to enrol him in a school 8km away.
To compound matters, we subsequently found that the bus operator with his new school would not pick him up as we were not on the service route.
As for our third child in pre-school, the school bus operator has also stopped services for the past 1½ years, citing profitability issues. So we have had to figure out how to get three children to school on time, at around the same time, without school buses and without breaking the bank.
I had appealed to my MP and to the Ministry of Education for assistance to get my second child into the school that is within walking distance, but I was told this was not possible.

With all this talk of supporting families, it is my hope that the authorities will look into this issue.
Getting a child to school shouldn’t be so difficult. It is unrealistic to expect parents to own a car to ferry their children to and from school, or find people to accompany their children in a taxi or private-hire vehicle every day, twice a day.
There should either be guaranteed school bus services or a guaranteed place in a school that is within 1km of a child’s home.

Vicki Loh Hui-qi

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

That is about 14 caught a day.
And these are the ones that are caught.
Those that were not caught could be at least 20 times this number i.e. 280.

More than 5,000 e-bike riders caught riding on footpaths in 2022​

Motorised devices are not allowed on footpaths to ensure safety for both pedestrians and riders, said LTA. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Gabrielle Chan

Feb 21, 2023

SINGAPORE - More than 5,000 power-assisted bicycle riders were issued notices by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2022 for riding on footpaths.
Motorised devices are not allowed on footpaths to ensure safety for both pedestrians and riders, said LTA.
LTA has a team of active mobility enforcement officers and auxiliary police officers who conduct daily enforcement operations across Singapore, it told The Straits Times. Closed-circuit television is also deployed to spot users who ride on footpaths, and the cameras are frequently moved around the island whenever a new hotspot is identified.
“LTA’s priority is safety for all users, and pedestrians tend to be the most vulnerable group,” said LTA.
It added: “We hope that device users understand the rationale and abide by the rules. But we are also prepared to carry out enforcement against errant riders.”
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, food delivery services Grab and Deliveroo reiterated their stance against dangerous delivery riding, with both companies saying they ensure their delivery partners are kept updated and reminded of safety regulations in line with LTA’s rules.
Delivery riders under Grab who use power-assisted bicycles are required to pass the mandatory theory test and undergo a training programme which cover topics such as road regulations, occupational safety and riding techniques.


“Our delivery partners are aware that they are required to observe all local regulations as per our Code of Conduct,” Grab said, adding that delivery riders caught flouting these regulations may be subjected to suspension.
Deliveroo said that it requires all riders to complete a road safety guidance programme and conducts regular road safety programmes to refresh their riders, adding that it works closely with LTA to ensure law-abiding riding.
LTA said that first-time offenders caught riding on footpaths may face a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to three months, or both. Riders with subsequent convictions face a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
“In addition to enforcement, we will continue to inculcate safe riding behaviours, and reinforce rules and guidelines through sustained public education and outreach efforts,” the agency said, adding that riders and other path users should exercise responsibility to ensure their safety.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

‘It sounded like a building collapsing’: Fallen tree pins cars at Sultan Gate​

A fallen tree pinned three cars along Sultan Gate at about 11 am. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Elaine Lee

Mar 8, 2023

SINGAPORE - After enjoying breakfast with his wife at Kampong Glam on Wednesday morning, Mr Abdul Hamed received a rude shock when he returned to his parked car along Sultan Gate to find it pinned by a fallen tree.
“I have never parked at this area before because it was always full,” said the 56-year-old crew manager and depot controller. “But it was especially empty today so I took my chance, and this had to happen.”
The rear windscreen and left signal light of his brown Tivoli were damaged by the large fallen tree, which also landed on two other cars. No injuries were reported from the incident, which happened around 11am.
“Now, I have to take urgent leave to send the car to repair. But I’m also grateful that my car was not as badly hit as the other, which was between mine and the last car,” said Mr Abdul Hamed.
Mr Sonny Wee, who has been selling hand drums across the road for about 15 years, witnessed the incident and described it as sounding like “a building collapse”.
“I have seen broken branches around the area, but this is my first time witnessing a tree trunk falling,” said the 71-year-old. “I consider myself quite lucky. If the tree had fallen sideways, it could have hit my shop and myself.”
Another eyewitness, Mr Hassan Mohd Amin, said he had observed some young children playing near the tree just before it fell.

“I suddenly heard someone shouting and the next thing I knew, the kids were running all over the place,” said the 59-year-old, who was in a stationary car and waiting for a lot.
“They probably realised that the tree was moving... I later heard a loud cracking sound, and the next thing I saw was that the tree were on top of the three cars that were next to it. Thankfully, only the cars were damaged and no one was hurt.”
The Straits Times has contacted the National Parks Board for more information.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Try new ideas to tackle littering​

Mar 10, 2023

Every time someone brings up the littering problem, the National Environment Agency would respond predictably: a multipronged approach is used, including allocating significant resources to enforcement action, working with various parties and engaging the community (Multi-pronged approach to keep S’pore litter-free, March 3). Are NEA’s efforts getting the results we want? If these methods and efforts are not producing the desired outcome, perhaps NEA should re-evaluate its effectiveness or try new ideas.

Francis Yeoh

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Managing waste without disposable bags a challenge for households​

Mar 10, 2023

With the rising cost of living, the move by supermarkets to impose a disposable bag charge effectively imposes a further financial burden on households (Most supermarkets to charge 5 cents for each plastic bag from July 3, March 3). Singaporeans reuse disposable bags to bag their waste. This helps to avoid spillage, odour, pest infestation and other public health nuisance. The authorities should offer alternatives for managing food waste and other rubbish.

Goh Kian Huat

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Step up enforcement action against smoking on rainy days​

Mar 10, 2023
The recent spell of wet weather has seen smokers taking smoking breaks under shelter at bus stops and covered walkways, which are both against the law.

The fact that smokers take their puffs so freely at prohibited places when it rains suggests that enforcement action is seldom carried out during such times.

Our law, which is meant to protect people against harmful second-hand smoke, should not provide any exceptions.


Liu I-Chun

 

[batman1]

Only can remember MIW increase GST.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Illegal food delivery riders

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

PAB riders still riding on pedestrian foothpath

 

[worcer]

thats why

S'pore Grab user: Drivers refuse to cancel, don't show up, waste time & wait for higher surge pricing, as they're likely on multiple apps​

It is a drivers' market these days.
Belmont Lay | Nixon Tan | February 07, 2023

There is a dearth of taxis and private hire vehicles in Singapore now that the pandemic is about done and dusted, with many commuters here experiencing longer waiting times to get a ride.


The latest Public Transport Council's 2022 point-to-point transport services customer satisfaction survey out on Feb. 6 found that passengers' satisfaction with taxi and private hire car services dropped in 2022, with the score for waiting time falling the most.
And this is due to a shortage of drivers for taxis and private hire vehicles, with many not returning to the industry just yet.
A Grab spokesperson told CNA: "Our current supply of driver-partners is at about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of pre-Covid days while demand has increased with the opening of borders and economies."

Drivers get to pick and choose​

One Grab app user has written in to Mothership to highlight the extent of the problem of getting a ride these days.
With commuters competing with one another to board a vehicle and with drivers using multiple platforms to pick passengers, it has since become a drivers' market.
According to the commuter, he reckoned that drivers are taking advantage of the situation by using multiple apps to match with the highest surge pricing fare at the moment.
This comes at the expense of the commuter as some drivers do not even have the basic courtesy of informing passengers they have no intention of picking them up as they are going to another location to pick another higher-paying commuter.
Mothership has reached out to Grab for comment on this issue and will update this article when we get a response.

Surge pricing antics​

This is the Grab user's experience:
I am writing to you to highlight a certain practice by Grab drivers: They receive a booking and accept it, but realise that there is a price surge.
They then refuse to cancel the job and wait for the passenger -- who is waiting for them -- to cancel the booking instead.
This results in time wasted for the passenger, while the driver has probably switched to another app and accepted a booking with a fare that has surged.
I presume this practice of using multiple apps at the same time and picking and choosing jobs is due to the algorithm favouring drivers who do not cancel bookings, which allows them to keep passengers waiting with no intention of picking them up eventually.
From a lay person's understanding, Grab apparently operates on a "strike system", whereby drivers get "one strike" after showing behaviour like this.
However, I do not believe this is working given that this has happened to me twice in the space of two months, both between 9pm and 10pm on a weeknight -- peak period for people going home.
This was what happened to me.

First incident​

The first instance occurred on Dec. 1, 2022.
I booked a Grab ride home from work.
The booking was accepted at 8:53pm with the waiting time listed as 8 minutes.
I then realised that the driver was driving away from my location, and the waiting time climbed to 14 minutes.
The driver then texted me via the Grab app to say that he is “far away”.
When I attempted to cancel the booking, I was informed by the app that fares were S$10 higher than my original booking.
I’ve attached screenshots from this incident:

Second incident​

Most recently, this happened again.
I booked a grab at 8:51pm, with the car 6 minutes away.
The driver did not move, and cancelled on me at 9:14pm, 23 minutes after the booking was made.
Fare had surged from S$16.80 to S$22.80 when I next checked.

Offered S$3 discount once​

Of course, when I wrote in to Grab on both occasions, the driver was “given one strike” based on company policy.
In the first instance, I was provided S$3 off my next ride as a form of apology, while in the second instance, no compensation was offered.

Why do drivers get away with this?​

My reasoning: If Grab imposes a late fee on passengers who make drivers wait, shouldn’t Grab then impose a late fee on drivers who make passengers wait as well?
I can understand that drivers want to make as much money as they possibly can.
However, they should then not accept the booking in the first place, or at least take it on the chin and cancel on their end, if they would like the surge fare profit.
I am bringing this up to see how widespread this practice is and hopefully induce some change at some meaningful level.
Otherwise, Grab will continue to get away with taking advantage of Singaporeans' time and money.
Grab User

Uber is a better app...

Grab is just govt way to destroy Uber and sinkies way of life for a economic version of taxi...