Taxicabs of Singapore

Taxicabs are a popular form of public transport in the compact city state of Singapore, with fares considered relatively low compared to those in most cities in developed countries. There is a total fleet of 24,022 taxis operated by eight taxi companies and independent drivers in April 2008 [http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/Taxi%20Info%20for%20LTA%20Website%2008.pdf] , collectively completing 588,632 trips daily across the island in June 2005 [http://www.lta.gov.sg/public_transport/doc/taxi_stats.pdf] .

Taxis may be flagged down at any time of the day along any public road. Issues of high traffic and demand in certain locations and areas, particularly in the downtown area and other major buildings and establishments around the island, require the building of taxi stands. As taxis may conversely be harder to obtain in less densely populated areas, as well as to meet the needs of time-sensitive users, taxis may be booked via telephone or through the internet for a fee, which is then transmitted to individual taxis via a Global Positioning System or digital voice dispatch.

Stringent requirements ensure that all taxis are fitted with meters and are air-conditioned and serviceable. Drivers who fail to utilise their meters may be fined up to S$500, an enforced rule which brings fare disputes down to a minimum. About 90% of taxis have inbuilt AM radio communications.

Operations

Taxis are predominantly operated by large companies, the latter of which require a Taxi Operator Licence (TOL) from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Holders of the TOL are required to comply with LTA's Quality of Service (QoS) standards, codes of practice and audit directions, failure of which the LTA may revoke the licence. There are seven companies holding the TOL currently, namely:

¹ - Higher flag-down rates for certain models.² - Not applicable on Public Holidays

All Electronic Road Pricing charges incurred on the trip are to be borne by the customer. An additional 10% administrative charge on the total fare is also incurred when payment is made on credit or charge cards. Higher fares apply for premium taxi services that employ premium vehicles, such as CityCab's "Presido" and "MaxiCab", Yellow-Top Cab's "Sovereign" limousines, SMRT's "Prestige" and "London Taxi" and Airport Transfer service, and so on.

Vehicle types

In the late 1960s, the first Yellow-Top taxi was the Mercedes Benz 220S Ponton followed by the Austin Cambridge A60. In the 1970s the Austin Cambridge A60 continued until the early 1980s followed by models of the Opel Rekord D, Peugeot 504, Morris Marina and the Russian Volga Gaz 24.

In the middle 1980s, the staple vehicles for all operators were the Toyota Comfort, Nissan Cedric and Isuzu Florian. These were stripped-down versions of their Japanese luxury-car siblings, with an emphasis on operating costs over comfort. Cheap plastic fittings and PVC seats replaced materials such as wood and leather, insulation was removed to save weight, and early generation diesel engines replaced the original petrol units. The resulting vehicles were simple to maintain and extremely reliable, but were lacking in comfort, with very high levels of NVH.

The move by various operators to various makes and models of premium vehicles came largely as a result of Euro IV regulations, which came into effect in late 2006. The older diesel engines in the Crown and Cedric are unable to meet the new emissions standards, and these taxis will no longer be offered for sale.

The newer taxicabs benefit from vastly improved interiors and more advanced engines with lower emissions and noise levels, which used to be the preserve of the premium Mercedes-Benz "limousine" services.

ComfortDelgro announced it would acquire a fleet of 2,400 Hyundai Sonatas in November 2007 [http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/Media%20Release-ComfortDelGro%20Places%20Order%20for%20700%20New%20Hyundai%20Taxis%20(27Nov06).pdf] over the next 2 years for its subsidiaries Comfort and Citycab, during which period they will enjoy exclusive rights from the distributor for using the type as a taxicab.

All taxicabs in Singapore have to pay the much higher road tax applied to diesel-powered passenger cars, which was intended to deter people from using diesel-powered vehicles for private use. This road tax bill is footed by the taxi company (except for STTA taxis), and can be as high as S$6,300 annually. However, some operators are trialling vehicles powered by natural gas, which are not only exempted from diesel taxes, but are also given waivers on road tax intended to offset the higher cost of ownership and to make them more attractive for the early adoptors of the cleaner vehicles.

Currently, the following vehicle makes and models are in use:

All of these vehicles seat 4 adult passengers unless otherwise stated. Passengers are required by law to wear seat belts,but this rule is rarely enforced.

ee also

* Transport in Singapore
* Taxicabs of Hong Kong
* Taxicabs by region

References

External links

* [http://www.taxisingapore.com Singapore Taxi] - Taxis info & rates in Singapore
* [http://www.lta.gov.sg/public_transport/index_pt_taxi.htm Taxis in Singapore]
* [http://www.lta.gov.sg/public_transport/doc/taxi_stats.pdf Taxi statistics]
* [http://sgtaxis.here.ws SG Taxi Travel] - Plan your journey with user-contributed records
* [http://www.think-magazine.com/issue3/02/1.html Think Singapore] - The Singapore Taxi Experience by Ieuan Dolby, from
* [http://www.efxsoft.com/tripsum/main.html TripSum.com] 1st online ERP / Taxi fare calculator to check and calculate taxi fare inclusive of (Electronic Road Pricing)ERP amount and taxi surcharges needed for a passenger's taxi trip at different day, time, cab and place in Singapore
* [http://www.limousinecab.com Limousine Cab] - Limousine Taxi Cabs in Singapore