Taxi operators SMRT and Trans-Cab Services have started to
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Taxi operators SMRT and Trans-Cab Services have started to impose penalties on drivers who failed to meet taxi availability standards.
SINGAPORE: Some taxi operators have started to impose penalties on drivers who failed to meet taxi availability standards.
Drivers from SMRT and Trans-Cab Services recently received notices about the penalties, which include cuts in financial incentives.
In January this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) raised the taxi availability standards to ensure more cabs are on the roads to serve commuters.
SMRT taxi driver Joseph Koh received a surprise SMS from his operator recently.
Mr Koh was told his hiring contract will not be renewed because he failed to meet the taxi availability standards.
He has been asked to return his Toyota Crown taxi next month.
"I felt shocked and disappointed, because I worked for so long, and I tried my best to work with the company. I still need a job anyway to feed my family," said Mr Koh.
Channel NewsAsia understood more than 30 drivers have been affected.
Taxi companies that are unable to meet the taxi availability standards will face financial penalties.
These companies also need to comply with the standards in order to be eligible to grow their fleet.
Under the revised standards, operators have to ensure 80 per cent of their taxis clock a minimum daily mileage of 250 kilometres.
In addition, 80 per cent of their fleet must be on the roads during peak periods.
SMRT taxi driver Jimmy Goh said: "We are required to drive from 6am to 11am, and also in the evening from 5pm to midnight so how can we complete two peak hours?
"We can try our very best, but at most we can only complete one peak hour. In this case, we will not be able to fulfil the TA (taxi availability)."
Drivers like Mr Goh could lose financial incentives under SMRT's revised quarterly rental rebate benefit scheme.
If he fails to meet the availability standards, he will not be able to get a one-day rental rebate.
As for Trans-Cab Services, it will deduct $100 from the performance incentive package that drivers get.
In a letter to some 800 drivers of its Toyota Wish taxis, Trans-Cab said that based on its record in the past four months, Toyota Wish taxis have not been able to meet the taxi availability standards.
Patrick Teo, secretary of the TransCab Operators' Association, said: "Normally, they (Trans-Cab) have very good incentives, but now after the 250 kIlometres TA (taxi availability), they will cut $100. In a year, it's $1,200. I think with $1,200, drivers can do a lot of things that can help their families."
Most of the taxi drivers who can't meet the availability standards are hirers who drive alone or do not have a relief driver.
They said it has been tough to get another person to share the load. One of the reasons cited is the difficulty to find compatible relief drivers.
To help match hirers and relief drivers, the National Taxi Association is piloting a 'matching' session this year.
The National Taxi Association has expressed its concern and disapproval of the introduction of financial penalties on taxi drivers.
"Their actions are quite regrettable. In fact, what we feel is that operators should work alongside with us, to find more innovative ways of helping our drivers attain that standard, rather than passing the responsibility fully onto their shoulders," said National Taxi Association (NTA) adviser Ang Hin Kee.
Both SMRT and Trans-Cab have declined to comment on the penalties that have been meted out to drivers.
Replying to queries from Channel NewsAsia, LTA said the standards are based on the taxi fleet and not per taxi driver.
LTA added that most taxi companies are currently able to pass the first year standards, including SMRT, and hence should not incur any TA penalties.
It stressed that taxi companies should help and incentivise their drivers achieve the service and availability standards, a point that has been reiterated several times to the taxi companies.
Besides having more taxis on the roads, efforts are also ongoing to simplify the taxi fare structure.
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Just a thought. ..
If all taxi company meet the target,
Means can increase fleet.
Means more taxi otr...
Then peak hr problems settle?
Then non peak hr, esp midnite more taxi n less pax.. another problem. ..??
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Piece of cake will get smaller
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Originally posted by Atohuat:
Just a thought. ..
If all taxi company meet the target,
Means can increase fleet.
Means more taxi otr...
Then peak hr problems settle?
Then non peak hr, esp midnite more taxi n less pax.. another problem. ..??
More taxi n less pax
not their problem
wahaha
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With all these rules, are taxi drivers still considered self employed?
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Originally posted by charlize:
With all these rules, are taxi drivers still considered self employed?
at the moment still yes....
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Good lah. Get rid of those who hire taxi and use as pte car type. If u work diligently everyday for 10 hrs, 250km is sup sup water.
And those who like to be OMO, it will get harder and harder without relief.
They got GPS. U think they dunno what you use your taxi for? Ai mai oni lah.
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So if 250km but din meet the peak hour timing how?
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Arya, actually this is a kind of business. If you can think out of the box and try to challenge the Taxi coy by using another method of strategy, you may even take over their piece of cake to eat.
Seriously, the management only knows how to collect their profits, dont even think of looking after their drivers who pay their daily rental. Best part is to hit the 250km mileage so as a requirement from LTA to increase the coy's fleet.
I was wondering what if one day Taxi Drivers have balls to boycott the whole Taxi business, a matter of time only. Why there's still ppl driving for them is because the target groups for them mainly are those traditionalists and baby boomers and minorities of Gen X, Gen Y groups.
Taxi companies still believe that workers still work for their daily rental so as to sustain their existence of companies...typically abusing the welfare system.
Anyway we shall wait till the traditionalists and baby boomers pass away liao, then the real war will wage against the papayas. We all can see that traditionalists and baby boomers stand at least 30 to 40% of the whole population. and mainly because of mr LKY's policy of only 2 child due to 'reasons' cause the sudden decline of making babies in the 80s (up till now, he still wont admit his mistake...) when the population decreases, the next thing to turn up for profits / gdp growth will be the in-surge of Foreign talents. Till then, Papayas will come up all sorts of excuses to use FT. Basically is like, if you dont drive, FT will...simple as that.
Till that day, lets see whether they will find excuses to use FT to drive their taxis when the locals cant meet their basic requirements.
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Originally posted by Elginang:Till then, Papayas will come up all sorts of excuses to use FT. Basically is like, if you dont drive, FT will...simple as that.
Till that day, lets see whether they will find excuses to use FT to drive their taxis when the locals cant meet their basic requirements.
Many times I have posted this they cannot use the FT as for FT you need to pay a wage aka salary and in taxi business where got salary that the terms of work visa you cannot be self-employed on a work visa as if you open that Pandora’s box then its all-out war you can have self-employed FT estate agent a self-employed FT plumber why not self-employed FT tax accountant . a self-employed maid and the list goes on hence that will never happen as this is the only "business" where Singaporeans can be exploited to the max by not only to taxi coy but the government as well (in form of revenue generated from traffic violations etc.) and a Singaporeans is stuck as this is the job of last resort hence no option
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How can it be considered self employed if people have to set targets for you to meet?
I rent a shop from a landlord but the landlord should not have the right to tell me how many products I have to sell every month or how much money I need to make every month.
I have already paid the monthly rental to her and the legal obligation (rental) is fulfilled.
If targets can be set like these, then it should be that TDs are actually employees of the cab companies.
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Your favourite icon, return you....
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And if TDs are considered employees of a cab company, then how come employees need to pay the company to use the cabs?
Food for thought.
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Some taxi coy, use to use incentives to lure drivers to drive their taxi.....
Than when they want to stop or reduce the incentives, very difficult.....
Now got chance, still don't want to use meh.....
Than got 1 coy, if I can choose, definitely won't drive for them.....
Recently di di tio bombard on their core business, break down la, delay la, overcrowded la.....
Than now they got chance to vent their anger, 1st thing they think of, confirm chop sign definitely is their TD lor.....
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Originally posted by charlize:
And if TDs are considered employees of a cab company, then how come employees need to pay the company to use the cabs?
Food for thought.
For this, wait, later that è€�ä¸�æ» bowah will cum and explain to you.....
He very the good in explaining this.....
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The question is after 250KM per day it should cover two peak hours?
1. 250KM per peak hours = 500KM per day?
2. 250KM per day two peak hours = 125KM per peak hours?
I think 2. is still possible, just what standard taxi coy is passing down to TD. LTA whack taxi coy, taxi coy whack TD, TD can only look down think to whack or not to whack (to TFK or not TFK) only.
everyone complain complain yet they still duno the more they complain the more they'll suffer under papaya system, just pity the innocent party (those who never complain) kena and suffer with them. haiz...
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Originally posted by charlize:
And if TDs are considered employees of a cab company, then how come employees need to pay the company to use the cabs?
Food for thought.
TDs are hirers lah..self employed and sign contract, must play by the rules...Taxi Co. and LTA.Rent shop from landlord also got rules one..It's all in the contract. Some shops cannot suka suka becum kopi tiam or sell items that are prohibited in your contract.
Except the rules for TDs are getting more and more restrictive due to public feedback.
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ah...there is kind of job title called Bogus title. It is typically used by think tank of managment to lure simple minded people in and make them look great and believing their existence. Like some security guards job today are called Estate Officers, salesman are renamed Sales managers, cleaner are called enviromental caretaker, casket driver as Royal escort, or that prositute become Public relationship Officer. Taxi driver are phrased on many titles in a way to confuse them, and also, in a way on the needs and conditoning. Like if they are to increase fares, they will said TD, as businessman....blah blah If they want to implement and discipline laws, they will use, Company Taxi drivers must follow..blah blah If they want to siam responsibility, they will phrase it as, TD are self employed, should take care of themselves...blah blah
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At the end of the day, just be frank to yourself, you are a taxi driver, rented out a taxis, signed and agreed on the rules and regulations, passed you TDVL, paid your rental and make a living out of it. What ever title they betowed upon you, be it knight or prince of LV or Uncle, you are just a taxi driver as stipulated above. But the simple minded TDs will tends to hallucinate once given a Businessman title, u cannot blame them, because for most of them, they had been working class or in uniform jobs for most part of their youth life, and suddenly out of the blue, you are a Businessman...wow! are not that great!! And that is how they exploited you. Last week I went tiong bahru hawker centre, stomache, so go into the toilet, a cleaner came and bang the toilet door, saying she is going to clean the toilet, hurry up. I got angried and shouted back, how to ask my shit to faster, you cannot wait ar!!! I am a businessman you know...Cleaner shouted back, do business here only call yourself businessman??? real businessman dun come here and do business one lah, hurry up, or I will start spraying water...limpek quickly clean and walk out
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Originally posted by bowah:
ah…there is kind of job title called Bogus title. It is typically used by think tank of managment to lure simple minded people in and make them look great and believing their existence.
Like some security guards job today are called Estate Officers, salesman are renamed Sales managers, cleaner are called enviromental caretaker, casket driver as Royal escort, or that prositute become Public relationship Officer.
Taxi driver are phrased on many titles in a way to confuse them, and also, in a way on the needs and conditoning.
Like if they are to increase fares, they will said TD, as businessman….blah blah
If they want to implement and discipline laws, they will use, Company Taxi drivers must follow..blah blah
If they want to siam responsibility, they will phrase it as, TD are self employed, should take care of themselves…blah blah
Okay..TD called Transport Director. Swee boh?
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Ah, not Toilet Detector meh?
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why toilet? Tio Diarhhoea sibo?
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Aiya, u dunno meh, beside TCSS and KLJW nos satu, Taxi drivers very good in Singapore toilet location, which one nice, which one no good, where is the nearest, where must paid, where no need to paid, which one got paper, which one do not have, inside CBD or outside CBD..seibei choon one. KLJW=Kong Lan Jiao Way
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TD=Terminal Disease.....
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Talking abt toilets, my favourite is marina square,
after doing business, can go banking
