Higher flagdown rates for new taxis
FARES are quietly going up for some cabs, as operators move to counter higher certificate of entitlement (COE) prices and a growth restriction on their fleets.
Most increases are by 20 cents in the flagdown fares of newer models.
ComfortDelgro, the largest operator here with 60 per cent of Singapore's 27,400 taxis, has priced its Hyundai i40's initial fare at $3.70.
This is 50 cents higher than the flagdown for the Sonata, the i40's predecessor.
More than 85 per cent of the taxi giant's fleet are Sonatas, which are expected to be replaced by the i40 - rolled out last month - over the next few years.
Trans-Cab, the second largest taxi firm with about 4,400 cabs, has priced its Renault Latitudes, introduced two months ago, at $3.90. This is up from its similar-sized Chevrolet Epica, which costs $3.60 to flag down now, and $3.40 just a few weeks ago.
Comfort declined comment, but Trans-Cab chief executive Teo Kiang Ang said the new cabs are "more comfortable, safer and bought with higher COEs".
Taxi fares are not regulated here, though operators have to meet service and safety standards. COE premiums for taxis are now around $77,000 - up from $50,000 two years ago.
With the higher fares come higher rentals, which cab firms levy on cabbies.
Some operators also play the "green" card when reviewing fares, introducing petrol-electric hybrids with higher flagdowns.
SMRT, the third-largest player here, has ordered more than 600 Toyota Priuses. The first units will roll out on Friday, with a flagdown of $3.80.
This is higher than the $3.50 to $3.70 charged by Premier and Prime, two other operators with Prius cabs, and also higher than the larger Hyundai Sonata's $3.20.
SMRT would not say how it set a price, but said the Prius cabs were "greener and quieter".
SMRT senior vice-president (roads) Benny Lim said a mobile app is in the pipeline that will allow "commuters who wish to travel green" to specifically request a green taxi.
With the Prius purchase, the company will have the biggest hybrid cab fleet by next year.
Other initial fares which have gone up include Prime Taxi's Toyota Vellfire. The all-wheel-drive seven-seater costs $4.50 to flag down, up from $4. The smallest player has upped the flagdown of its other cabs by about 20 cents.
SMRT will also raise the rate for its Hyundai Azera to $3.80 this week, from $3.60.
The rises have left commuters unimpressed. Marketing professional Lau Sau Kuen, in her 30s, said it was "terrible" to have so many rates and surcharges to keep track of.
She added: "But frankly, aside from a limo or maxi-cab, which offers more room, I don't know what justifies the higher fares for the other cabs."
