Taxis Vanish in Rain as Singapore Gets Congested
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At 6 a.m. one weekday morning, 64-year-old taxi driver Koh Chia Hock set out to ply Singapore’s roads when it started raining. So he turned around and went home.
“If I go and fetch a customer, it’s very risky,” said Koh, as the heavy traffic raises the chance of an accident that could leave him without earnings while the car is repaired. “I don’t have the stomach for it. I don’t want to drive when it rains.”
Cab drivers like Koh are avoiding the traffic jams that have become a hallmark of Singapore’s tropical rainstorms after a jump in the city’s population and a surge in vehicles clogged roads. As the government shuts the center of the city this weekend for the annual Formula One street race, residents are bracing for even more delays.
“This is a problem that has been accumulated over many years — infrastructure investment has not kept pace with the demand,” said Irvin Seah, a senior economist at DBS Group Holdings in Singapore who was part of the nation’s economic review committee in the early 2000s. “With the congestion, time will be lost in traffic jams and that’s essentially money.”
Singapore’s roads are trying to cope with a population that has jumped by more than 1.1 million since mid-2004 to 5.3 million. Taxi waiting times of an hour or more are tarnishing the city-state’s reputation for efficiency as the government works to turn the island into a regional center for industries such as biotechnology and wealth management.
The 1996 transport system white paper planned for a population of 4 million by 2030. A government report this year said the number of people on the island that’s less than a third of the size of Luxembourg may grow to 6.9 million by then.
Building railways
Singapore closed roads on Wednesday in the city center for six days for the Formula One night race and related activities, according to the Land Transport Authority. The closures add to the congestion downtown, said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Group Holdings in Singapore.
“It is an annual inconvenience,” said Song.
Singapore is spending S$60 billion ($48 billion) on new subway lines and at least another S$12 billion on buses and highways to try to rein in the congestion and allow for future growth. While those projects will roll out over the next 17 years, overcrowding and delays are beginning to affect the image of a city often considered a model in the world.
Singapore’s place on the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking has fallen to fifth in 2013 since topping the list in 2010, as its marks for basic infrastructure and business productivity and efficiency fell. Singapore ranked below Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi in a survey of commuters’ experience based on speed, cost of travel and overall comfort, released in 2011 by Frost & Sullivan.
More railways
“New rail lines typically require a long lead time,” said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in e-mailed answers to questions. “As a result, we are experiencing overcrowding at the moment in our public transport network.”
To try to curb the increase in traffic, the government has cut the growth in licenses for new cars to 0.5 percent, from 3 percent annually between 1990 and 2008. The number of licensed vehicles on the roads increased 35 percent from 2001 to 2011.
Simon Yeo, a business development consultant, now wakes up at 6 a.m., two hours earlier than he used to, in order to beat the traffic on his 21-kilometer commute.
“I lose a lot of sleep, but I still don’t feel as tired in terms of how strenuous it is getting stuck in major traffic,” said Yeo, 32.
A view from Swissotel The Stamford shows the track for the upcoming Formula One Singapore Grand Prix night race in Singapore on Sept. 16, 2013. (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman)
Congestion cost
Road congestion costs Asian economies an estimated 2 percent to 5 percent of gross domestic product a year due to lost time and higher transport costs, according to the Asian Development Bank’s website.
“There are too many cars,” said taxi driver Koh, who says it takes twice as long to get to the city center than when he started driving cabs a decade ago. “It’s not that there are too few taxis, it’s just that if they are not occupied, they are caught in jams.”
“Reputational damage will come when it seeps into the minds of visitors, that they see better infrastructure elsewhere and they don’t see the same in Singapore,” said Wai Ho Leong, a Singapore-based economist at Barclays who helped analyze the city’s tourism projects when he worked at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. “I think it’s slowly seeping in.”
That’s the case for Hong Kong-based Tsang Hin Cheng, a senior executive at a US bank who visits Singapore once a month.
‘Diabolical’ situation
“I love Singapore, but there’s always that hour you waste trying to get a taxi,” said Tsang, who has been coming to the city-state for 10 years. “It’s diabolical how bad the taxi situation is in Singapore. Remind me never to move here.”
The government’s Land Transport Authority says the average waiting time for a taxi in the city center during peak hours in March was 4.1 minutes and average traffic speed in the central business district in 2012 was 28.6 kilometers per hour.
Paul Barter, an adjunct professor of urban transport policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore who has advised city governments in China, Indonesia and Columbia on transport policy, says the figures don’t tell the real picture.
“Averages are very misleading,” said Barter, who has lived in the city-state for 12 years. “Things are not quite as bad as some people have been saying, they’re not quite as rosy as the government has been saying.”
ComfortDelGro Corp, Singapore’s biggest cab operator, estimates that almost 95 percent of its 16,300 fleet is in service during wet weather, the company said in an e-mail. Many taxis are caught in traffic jams when it rains, it said. The island has about 137 rain days a year, according to government data.
The figures are little consolation for office workers waiting hours to get a taxi.
“If it rains, I never get a cab,” said Nitin Damodaran, a private banker based in the city’s central business district. “Try getting a cab on Friday evenings. It’s impossible. I don’t know where all the cabs disappear to.”
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hanor hanor
rain tt time bery difficult to get cab
and got many ppl 跟我抢�真他妈的..
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what new message is the news article trying pass ah?
new surcharge on passenger when rain?
or new penalty on driver if no drive in bad weather?
like not only minimum 250km on hire daily, but also minimum 25km per hour daily..with or without hire?
then minimum run 10 hours daily per driver?? assuming 12 hour shift,1 hour meal, 1 hour start/keep car
those less than 12 hour shift must clock 30km per hour daily lo...
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how come they never say when ERP time started no taxis in CBD areas?that is the main cause!
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Many years ago, in HK, there was a shopkeeper selling umbrellas.. "Lai lai, HK$39 a piece." Nobody bought. Suddenly, there was a downpour and many people rushed to buy the umbrellas...
"How much?", asked a buyer.
"HK$100 a piece", came the reply.
"But, I thought you were selling for HK$39 a piece just now?".
The shopkeeper replied, "Just now, never rain wat? You wan anot?".
The buyer bo bian, grabbed a piece and paid HK$100.
Simple law of supply and demand, this writer oso dun understand...
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want to keep cab fares artifically low thats what you get.
high demand, low supply.
of course if fare rise significantly, then there goes another grc.
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When your family are hungry for food, electrical bill still never pay, going to be cut off soon.....
Lj, even thunder storm or tsunami coming, you will also go and ply the road.....
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Taxi Driver of SHD 2042A jialat liao.
During the rain, park the taxi and block the way and refuse to drive away. :)
Kena video and reported on omy.sg
See the video in the url link
http://wanbao.omy.sg/local/story20130926-12882 :)
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Business is not only about supply and demand, it also involve the needs.
In singapore,
Uncle, Geyland lor 32.
OK, boss
Reached, saw few vietcong girls, one damn chio, pax like very much,
Uncle uncle...stop! stop!
Ok ok boss, fare $21.
Wha! Uncle, these one nice, I want to take,
But boss, tia kong vietcong here use lousy cap, you must get your own cap better.
Huh! Uncle, I never carry cap leh, where is the nearest 7/11
Boss, 7/11 quite far, later return, this girl might get taken by those cheekopek liao, not to worry, beside driving Taxis, Uncle also got portable 7/11. Take yr pick..
Wha! Uncle super good, how much?
1 cap cheap cheap $5 only.
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
When your family are hungry for food, electrical bill still never pay, going to be cut off soon.....
Lj, even thunder storm or tsunami coming, you will also go and ply the road.....
No lah, SIngapore? how to go hungry, all fat fat, 4 days no eat also can survive.Sometime rainy days, most TD's LJ brother seibei steam, at the same time, those bak bak pros not much business, hide oneside, you call them, also cheaper mah.
Then hor, rainy days, bak bak also seibei song, together song song till jurong, after than want to go drive, bak bak hold me back and say..I still want i want...我还需è¦�...æƒ³ä½ ...å�šå�š
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Originally posted by bowah:
No lah, SIngapore? how to go hungry, all fat fat, 4 days no eat also can survive.Sometime rainy days, most TD's LJ brother seibei steam, at the same time, those bak bak pros not much business, hide oneside, you call them, also cheaper mah.
Then hor, rainy days, bak bak also seibei song, together song song till jurong, after than want to go drive, bak bak hold me back and say..I still want i want...我还需è¦�...æƒ³ä½ ...å�šå�š
You watch JAV too much liao...
Imagine too much no good for health...
"Uncle, 1 time nia hor, got eat medicine or not? quick quick hor, my night still young hor"....
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There's many TD I have met and know si beh cham 1 hor....
Today no certain profit dare not go home 1 hor....
Don't always presume all TD are well to do type...
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
There's many TD I have met and know si beh cham 1 hor....
Today no certain profit dare not go home 1 hor....
Don't always presume all TD are well to do type...
No lah, u wrong again lah...
these TD want people to sympathise with them, that's y they say they Cham, they want the durian head to give them jobs, that's y they say they Cham, they scared people ask them to treat kopi or Makan, that's y they say they Cham. If u are durian head, would you give your job to those eat full buy bun or give to those Cham ones??
These k Siao Cham TDs are the smartest and dun mind me saying, they are richer than anyone of us. They say Cham, stay 3 rm flat but inside their bank account maybe got 6 digits hor. U dunno only. If they Makan alone, u see they eat mix veg rice got 3 meat, 1 fish and 1 vege. After keep car at kopishop drink tiger, drink Guinness hor...
yes, Cham TD sure have but I think it's Maybe 1 or 2 in 10 TD then Cham, that's y Gahmen know, CDG, and all other taxi coy know. If TD Cham, y rental is ever increasing?? If Cham, y still got TD rent Maxi or Merc at $16x.xx per day??
Only got 2 types of TD, good or bad TD. Good TD sweep, take calls go anywhere and everywhere in Singapore, accept cab charge, nets, credit card. Bad TD choose this, keng that, cashless not working, take kopi break, play hide and seek, fetch 13 quality pax in CBD only.
Understand???
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
There's many TD I have met and know si beh cham 1 hor....
Today no certain profit dare not go home 1 hor....
Don't always presume all TD are well to do type...
Aiyo, you still on hirer green sign lah, those who claim si beh cham are hidden dragon, crouching tiger, and vice versa, those who claim I earn 7k, 5k...si bei ho tan type are actually the most cham one, these are typically, 2 types of kan si lang siao Taxi drivers.Dun believe? you go ask where is that young malay 7k taxi driver now?? ah long looking for him
Dun believe? you go ask that TD who said he earns only net $30 per day.
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Originally posted by Sam.seah:
No lah, u wrong again lah...
these TD want people to sympathise with them, that's y they say they Cham, they want the durian head to give them jobs, that's y they say they Cham, they scared people ask them to treat kopi or Makan, that's y they say they Cham. If u are durian head, would you give your job to those eat full buy bun or give to those Cham ones??
These k Siao Cham TDs are the smartest and dun mind me saying, they are richer than anyone of us. They say Cham, stay 3 rm flat but inside their bank account maybe got 6 digits hor. U dunno only. If they Makan alone, u see they eat mix veg rice got 3 meat, 1 fish and 1 vege. After keep car at kopishop drink tiger, drink Guinness hor...
yes, Cham TD sure have but I think it's Maybe 1 or 2 in 10 TD then Cham, that's y Gahmen know, CDG, and all other taxi coy know. If TD Cham, y rental is ever increasing?? If Cham, y still got TD rent Maxi or Merc at $16x.xx per day??
Only got 2 types of TD, good or bad TD. Good TD sweep, take calls go anywhere and everywhere in Singapore, accept cab charge, nets, credit card. Bad TD choose this, keng that, cashless not working, take kopi break, play hide and seek, fetch 13 quality pax in CBD only.
Understand???
....wrong again....Nowaday di di wrong hor....
Maybe should really retired....
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Originally posted by bowah:
Aiyo, you still on hirer green sign lah, those who claim si beh cham are hidden dragon, crouching tiger, and vice versa, those who claim I earn 7k, 5k...si bei ho tan type are actually the most cham one, these are typically, 2 types of kan si lang siao Taxi drivers.Dun believe? you go ask where is that young malay 7k taxi driver now?? ah long looking for him
Dun believe? you go ask that TD who said he earns only net $30 per day.
Waw piang.....
Can sit at kopi shop and shout "cham" of course is knn la....
I really know a few TD financially si beh cham 1....
And when they in need of money, they dare not get hungry or thirsty....
Most time, I will buy them packet rice, let them eat in their taxi....
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The key to all this is between a same word know as conditioning or being conditioned.
Conditioning imply what you are doing shall result in being what you get or become which is conditioned.
Some of these TD are being conditioned to get a packet of rice from you is because of the conditioning they act upon themselves.
For eg, if you gamble, you are conditioning. End up you borrow money which is conditoned
So to get a good conditioned, take care of your conditioning.
Help is good, but too much help depress self effort, for eg, everyday I buy food for you, in long run, you get pampered and believe that it is a norm and thereby continue to stay in such condition.
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There is a different between I fish for you and I teach you how to fish, for me, I prefer the later, if I fish for you, you become lazier and wait for me to fish, in long run, I actually destroyed you and I also will get fedup in keep having to fish for you.
So, I decided to teach you how to fish, give you a rod, bait and you go fish yourself, that will give you a road to survive and in long run, you know how to fish, I am off
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Originally posted by Keepthechange666:
Waw piang.....
Can sit at kopi shop and shout "cham" of course is knn la....
I really know a few TD financially si beh cham 1....
And when they in need of money, they dare not get hungry or thirsty....
Most time, I will buy them packet rice, let them eat in their taxi....
Then how come I dun have...knn big small eyes...why ??crown taxi driver no need to eat ar? -
Those cham TD most prolly spend beyond their means. When I drive, only short toilet breaks and 15 mins lunch breaks. Must be disciplined. Bangla, Ang Mo, Aunties, Uncles all take. Sweep and take calls. Accept cash, nets, cards, flashplay etc. Pax give $50 for change oso can. Rain or shine, oso drive.
On average, I take 20 pax per 12 hr shift. If disciplined, can get by, won't be cham one, but won't be rich either.
If so cham, then drive longer hrs lor. Work harder.
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I really think that you guys haven't come across a real cham TD....
Just quote you guys a real example.....
1 of my good kakis, his daughter got 2nd stage of cancer, medical fee is killing him, but my friend a tough man, 咬紧牙关 just keep plying the road.....
There's totally no target to hit everyday, every fare collected is a life saver.....
Of course we do help him to get various authority for assistance.....
But that's how much we can help also.....
Experience in taxi driving? He also not a new bird.....
Please, don't just look at a normal angle for taxi driving.....
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Real cham people alot in singapore, not just from TD, infact, there are more earning less than a 1000 per month, having to feed a sickened son, a bedridden wife, or some older ones having to work as cleaner to survive for 2 of them, cos sons and daughters also cannot support them, and they also do not wish to burden them.
Typically speaking, helping other is good, and not necessary just TD, infact, there are abt 20% Singaporeans earning less than a taxi driver income.