Ride-Hailing Apps/News/Discussion
-
bcos is pandanchen
-
He no tdvl. How to drive taxi? 越扯越���
-
precisely
-
i know how to spot grab car/ uber
their pax got chinese and indian. different races inside one car. how can be family members?
oh yes, confirm is taxi stand, esp the taxi stand infront of bugis junction.
-
Dun worry lah, very soon, all UG will have decal in front and back..want to tape it up also difficult... ...nowadays, want to buy black tape also out of stock..
-
My nightmare with Grabhitch experience. Dear All, this post has been posted to warn the public of my upsetting experience with Grabhitch just yesterday evening. *This post is 100% true and has been written by my personal experience, If it has accounted to defame to any company/person, it has been done to warn of others danger.
I have been a passenger with Grab for at least 2 years and had at least 200 rides with them. But my experience yesterday might be a change to everything. Yesterday evening at 6.50pm, my Grabhitch arrived and picked me up at my designated venue. Below is an attached screenshot of my booking.
The whole ride was smooth until when I was about to alight, the china Grabhitch driver demanded for me to pay an additional $2 for the ERP incurred during the trip.
As i chose Grabpay, I told the driver to add into the payment and it will be deducted. He then told me that Grabhitch will not allow the deduction as:
1) the driver clearly knows he is NOT allowed to collect tolls from me
2) Grabhitch has made clear to all their Hitch drivers that tolls are to be beared by drivers
3) Which means the amount deducted from my credit card already INCLUDED the ERP.
So, when I told him that he can follow up the matter with Grab, he flared up. When i was alighting, he pulled my bandage skirt down with a huge force causing my skirt to reach my knees. With the force exerted, i returned into the car after my foot planted. (FYI, I was sitting on the passenger's sit behind on the left) Being shocked and humiliated this way, I screamed at the china driver in mandarin
" How can you just pull someone's skirt down? " He did not release his hands from my skirt and still held on to them with force, and continued demanding for the $2 cash. I was totally fine about paying the additional $2 and did not argue about it with him.
But after what he did, pulling my skirt down to my panties and NOT even trying to get out of the car to settle peacefully... i really am lost of words. If some of you might think he was trying to grab hold of me and accidentally pulled my skirt down, NO.
He still continue pulling and holding firmly to my skirt which was already down to my knees while arguing! I just kept screaming at him to let go and when he finally did..
I was in shock and trembling and what i wanted was to just quickly alight that car and stop that guy from having any contact with me. So i quickly tried to step out of the car on the passenger door on the left.
When the driver saw me putting my leg out, he started moving the car! How dangerous is that? I was wearing heels and he just moved the car when my leg is already out of the car.
The whole situation happened at Hong Kong Street. At that moment being so flustered, i actually still left the car while the vehicle is still moving as i really cant imagine what would he do to me next.
I quickly regained my balance and pulled up my skirt and i saw some Valet nearby and shouted in mandarin for their help. "can u all come over n help me? he just pulled me skirt down!!"
but the valet just stood there and stared LOL. In the mean time, the china driver heard and he immediately drove the car away with the passenger door still open. The valet that stood there and NOT bothering to help, is from the company Valet Uncle.
SUPER dissapointed and shameful for them. After i got down the car, i was extremely emotionally unstable and broke down. I dialed for the police and they sent me down to cantonment immediately.
The driver tried calling me 5 times after he fled, my mom called back and he cursed our family with full of vulgarities and for my whole family to die. And said he would not be afraid for the police to catch him. Someone which is not remorseful and thinks that Singapore is like his homeland. As of now, Report has been done and authorities has been informed and to be followed up.
The driver has been banned, and i am really distressed by the situation. Is Grabhitch really that safe to use? You determine. I hope i put across a message that would help prevent future similar incidents. -
..eh..Grab Skirt.., the newest Grab business
-
no prob with all my grabhitch rides
frenly drivers and we had good chat during the journey
-
Originally posted by FireIce:
Two taxi firms plan to use surge pricing
Some taxi fares could soon fluctuate according to actual demand for cabs.
Two taxi operators are planning to implement dynamic fares, popularly known as surge pricing, with a third looking to join the fray.
Trans-Cab, Singapore's second largest operator with 4,566 taxis, and Premier Taxi, the second smallest with 1,889 cabs, said they had informed the Public Transport Council (PTC) of their plans.
Prime, the smallest operator with 731 cabs, is considering implementing the controversial fare system too.
Though taxi fares are not regulated here, operators are required to keep the PTC posted of all changes before they are implemented. The operators are awaiting the PTC's response.
The new fares will apply only to commuters hailing a cab via the Grab ride-hailing app.
ComfortDelGro and SMRT Taxis have not indicated that they want to join the initiative.
Dynamic fares vary according to real-time demand - lower than the current structured taxi fares during off-peak hours but possibly much costlier when demand surges.
During major rail breakdowns, commuters complained of Uber fares exceeding $140 - four to five times that of a usual taxi fare.
But supporters of dynamic fares point out that in cases of high demand, the supply of taxis under the current pricing plan is inadequate.
Premier Taxi managing director, Mr Lim Chong Boo, said: "During the peak, there would not be enough taxis even if we doubled the fleet."
He said dynamic pricing "is a Grab initiative, and as a business partner, we are supporting it".
The new format will give commuters another alternative to secure a cab, he added.
"It'll also allow taxi drivers some levelling of the playing field," said Mr Lim, referring to cabbies complaining they are losing business to private-hire drivers due to the rigid fare surcharge system taxis must adhere to.
Trans-Cab managing director, Mr Teo Kiang Ang, said he was keen to roll out dynamic pricing, "but the PTC asked us to hold on".
Asked why the council's approval had to be sought since taxi fares have been deregulated since 1998, a PTC spokesman would only say: "PTC and Land Transport Authority will jointly review the applications."
Observers reckon the Government is waiting for market leader ComfortDelGro - which controls more than 60 per cent of taxis here - to make a move before making a decision.
Two weeks ago, ComfortDelGro's chief executive of taxi business, Mr Yang Ban Seng, said: "We would love to do surge pricing, but I don't think we are allowed to."
Assistant Professor Yang Nan of the National University of Singapore Business School's strategy and policy department said taxi firms may actually lose some competitive advantage as "people prefer conventional cabs because there is more certainty in their fares".
"If everything is too similar, it will boil down to price competition. And the taxi companies do not have the advantage of these other players," he said, adding that the latter "have deep pockets and money to burn, and they can press down fares".
SIM University economist Walter Theseira said: "On the one hand, it is a good idea to have better responsiveness. But the risk is it will be next to impossible to get a street hail.
"This may be a transitional concern though. If people move entirely over to getting a taxi via an app, then it won't be a concern any more."
Grab would not comment when contacted yesterday.
ComfortDelGro is third taxi firm with plans to introduce surge pricing
It looks like taxi commuters will soon have to pay dynamic fares, which fluctuate according to demand.
Taxi giant ComfortDelGro, which controls over 60 per cent of cabs here, has informed the Public Transport Council that it plans to implement the Uber-style fares for phone-booked rides.
The group, which operates the blue Comfort and yellow CityCab taxis, made its move right after its keenest rival Trans-Cab, and Premier Taxi, informed the council of a similar plan.
ComfortDelGro had earlier said it wanted to introduce dynamic pricing - popularly known as surge pricing because fares can skyrocket to five times the usual rate - for some time now, but it was "not allowed" to.
Taxi fares in Singapore have been deregulated since 1998, but the industry operates under an unspoken understanding that players will still need the blessings of the authorities before any revision can be made.
Observers expect the new fares will be rolled out since the biggest operator has informed the PTC.
They expect SMRT and Prime to follow suit.
Experts have commented that surge pricing is an efficient mechanism to match supply to demand, but raised concerns about its lack of transparency.
-
Huat ar!!
hahaha
-
Huat??? hmmm..must change my name to taxiahhuat..lols. Next, we might get taxi hitch, taxi share,...this morning, picked up one ah pek like me, I asked him if he knows about UG and all these recently news of taxi fares going dynamic balancing, he told me, Uncle, I dunno wtf is all these, just on meter and when reach, I will just pay what is on the meter, I am tire, you stop talk so much...never see such a lor sor driver like you, so please be quiet, reach call me. Thank you
-
‘Commuters will have more choice’ if flexible taxi fares are introduced
Even if the taxi operators’ requests to introduce new ways of charging commuters — such as surge pricing — are accepted by the authorities, commuters will still be able to pay metered fares when they book taxis, while flag-down rides will not be affected, said Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng yesterday.
He was responding to the debate over the operators’ plans to implement dynamic pricing for their fare structures in a Facebook post.
Last week, Prime Taxi, Premier Taxis and Transcab said they submitted their plans for dynamic pricing to the Public Transport Council (PTC), while ComfortDelgro, the biggest player here, submitted plans for a flat fare structure. PTC said it is currently reviewing the proposals.
In his Facebook post, Mr Ng noted that commuters who book their taxis through mobile apps could have one more option: They can choose the current option with metered fares, or a new option using dynamic pricing, and the rate is agreed upon before the trip begins.
“We understand that some commuters may be uncomfortable with the taxi companies’ plans. This initial reaction is not unexpected. However, those who prefer not to use this new option can still choose to pay for a booked taxi by the meter. Likewise for street-hail commuters, where dynamic pricing does not apply.”
He said that competition from ride-sharing services Uber and Grab means this “will likely keep fares reasonable”, adding that the taxi operators are doing this to better compete with private hire cars, which are at liberty to increase fares during peak hours and hence earn more.
“Taxi companies should ensure that dynamic pricing improves and not worsens the matching of supply to demand of taxi services,” Mr Ng said.
Transport experts noted that an arrangement which allows for both flexible and metered fares may distort the taxi supply during peak hours for commuters.
Transport expert Dr Walter Theseira, a senior lecturer at SIM University, said: “There is no incentive for a driver to take a metered fare when flexible-fare surge pricing is in effect. The probable result will be that quality of service will be severely degraded for commuters who do not wish to pay flexible fares during surge pricing periods.”
National University of Singapore transport analyst Professor Lee Der Horng added: “The danger is that during peak hours it will be even more difficult to hail down a taxi at the roadside. If passengers reject surge pricing and still opt for the meter rate, I do not know if the driver may find reasons to reject the bookings.”
Both experts felt that the flexible fare system goes against the spirit of public service that taxis provide.
Prof Lee felt that the general availability of taxis “should be assured”, as they are part of the public transport system here.
Dr Theseira said: “If it (dynamic pricing) helps the taxi industry, that is desirable, but the LTA (Land Transport Authority) also has to consider the operational impact on commuters, particularly those who may be unable or unwilling to use dynamic pricing.”
-
Grab to roll out fixed-fare taxi service
Commuters booking a taxi through ride-hailing app Grab will soon have more certainty about their fares, though those fares will also be subject to a new pricing system that would increase them during periods of high demand.
The Straits Times understands that the ride-hailing firm will be rolling out a new service, called JustGrab, that will provide its users with fixed upfront fares when booking a taxi.
These fixed fares will take into account travel time, booking fees, as well as any location- and time-based surcharges. Grab users are currently able to view upfront the cost of a private-hire GrabCar ride, which is a fixed price.
But they can view only the estimated cost of a taxi ride, as it is based on the metered fare.
The new fixed fares for taxis will, however, be subject to dynamic fares - also known as surge pricing - in which prices increase during periods of high demand.
CHOOSING CABS
The reason why most of us take taxis nowadays is to avoid the surge pricing periods that Uber and Grab implement.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE COLIN CHEN, 29
BETTER OR WORSE?
Taxi companies should ensure that dynamic pricing improves and not worsens the matching of supply to demand for taxi services.
SECOND MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT NG CHEE MENG
These changes were spelt out in a document that Grab will be issuing to cabbies, seen by The Straits Times.
Private-hire car services offered by Grab and Uber are already subject to surge pricing - making them generally cheaper during the off-peak hours but more expensive than metered taxis when demand is high. It is not known when the new system will come into effect.
Grab declined comment when contacted yesterday.
The Straits Times reported last week that Trans-Cab and Premier Taxi were working with Grab on plans to implement dynamic pricing.
ComfortDelGro, the largest taxi operator here, confirmed it had also written to the Public Transport Council regarding plans to implement its own dynamic pricing.
National Taxi Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said that while dynamic pricing could help cabbies earn more, it was important that taxi fares remained "competitive", compared with those of private-hire cars during peak periods.
Commuters said surge pricing could drive them to look for alternatives.
Digital director Ameera Begum, 29, said it would provide "no incentive" to turn to Grab taxis over a private-hire ride.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said that it was "not unexpected" that some commuters would be uncomfortable with the introduction of dynamic pricing.
"However, those who prefer not to use this new option can still choose to pay for a booked taxi by the meter," he said, adding that dynamic pricing would not apply for street hires.
Mr Ng also noted that supply and demand would determine whether fares would be higher or lower under dynamic pricing.
"Taxi companies should ensure that dynamic pricing improves and not worsens the matching of supply to demand of taxi services," he said, adding that the matter would be discussed further during the Transport Ministry's budget debates later this week.
-
Please lah, most of these new Minute sters in Singapore have never run a an organization, nor do they ever been a boss of their own business. Therefore, they never talk from a business point of view, and if so, also cannot talk due to lack of experiences, simi lanjiao commuter got more choices, yes, but more expensive choices, simi lanjiao, fuel go down 5% only, say taxis earning up 5%, than fuel go up by 10% now how? water go up 30% how.... kong simi lanjiao...in parliament, for run fare cheater, take their IC nos, name and address, if possible take a photo..knnccb people run fares still let you take IC and photo arh??? if you are pay $100 per month, I dun mind..but you are paid $100,000+ per month leh
-
-
Lai liao, the game had just begun
-
In another piece of news reminding us all that racial prejudice is (sadly) very much alive in a supposedly diverse nation, a woman shared her harrowing experience of being rejected by a Grab driver.
Apparently, it’s because the driver prefers not to pick up those of Indian descent.
Posting on the GrabHitch Singapore Community Facebook page, Vicky Sumaran wrote about her brush with blatant racial discrimination when she arranged a ride via the carpooling service. In a screenshot of her exchange with the GrabHitch driver (mostly private car owners who aren’t driving for profit like GrabShare drivers), Vicky got her morning commute unexpectedly cancelled. When queried, the driver had the gall to simply answer that she “don pick Indian”.
source: https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/woman-shares-experience-denied-ride-grabhitch-driver-don-pick-indian/
-
grabhitch drivers cannot be called grab drivers........
-
CPF boost for GrabCar drivers
Grab has become the first ride-hailing company to provide its GrabCar drivers with Medisave contributions.
Under the GrabCar Medisave Programme, drivers who contribute to their Medisave accounts will get up to $100 a month from Grab to add to their account.
This incentive is offered only to GrabCar drivers who made at least 80 trips a week to qualify for the maximum contribution of $100 a month.
GrabCar drivers under its Platinum Partner Programme, who need to hit a certain number of rides and uphold a high rating, are eligible for a higher Medisave contribution cap of $200.
Mr Lim Kell Jay, head of Grab Singapore, said: "We believe the focus Grab places on helping our drivers... have peace of mind with better care for their medical needs, will make driving a long-term sustainable option for more in Singapore."
The programme is offered in partnership with the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA).
Executive secretary of NPHVA, Mr Mohamad Randy, said: "The NPHVA strongly urges all eligible GrabCar drivers to participate in the scheme and strengthen their CPF (Central Provident Fund) savings."
He added that other companies in the industry, including car leasing companies and apps-based platforms, should do more and provide concrete support to private hire vehicle drivers to contribute and grow their CPF savings.
Labour MP and National Taxi Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee told The New Paper that Medisave is a "basic fundamental need".
He said: "Helping workers in their medical needs is an exceptionally meagre thing and (this step) shows that Grab's freelancers are valued partners.
"By providing this, drivers can concentrate on work and don't need to worry about medical needs. Then, more drivers will want to join."
SIM University economist Walter Theseira said that Grab's being proactive shows they are attentive to the potential negative aspects of the gig economy.
He told TNP: "By making its move early, Grab has its seat at the table when it comes to policymaking for the gig economy. It shows their commitment towards their workers, and it is very strategic.
"It will put some pressure on their competitor, Uber, to do something similar."
But Dr Theseira added that Grab may not have the margin to sustain this programme, given its business model.
"None of the gig economy platforms seem to be profitable. Their model is costly and labour intensive," he said.
He said this is due to Grab having many incentives for drivers and riders.
"To sustain the Medisave programme, it has to come from their revenue, which they may not have," he said.
However, Mr Ang thinks the Medisave programme is sustainable.
He said: "$200 is a small amount compared to how much they spend on advertisements. Businesses should put the interest of their workers first."
Mr Steven Meng, 47, a full-time GrabCar driver, currently makes 50 to 70 trips a week. But he is motivated to hit 80 to get the Medisave contribution.
He said: "I drive about seven hours every day, but I will try to drive two hours more now. (With this programme), I don't have to worry about CPF and can focus on driving."
-
but grab hitch is still under grab
-
Grab skirt also under grab...ultimately, Grab will be like didi of China is to Singapore, Grab is a GLC, unlike private one like Uber
-
More young drivers joining Grab, Uber full time
When she was winding down the cleaning firm she ran with her sister last year, Ms Chen Roujie saw driving a private-hire car as an option for a full-time job because she was not old enough to apply for a Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence.
Although she got off to a “shaky” start as a Grab driver, she turned full-time after about nine months, when she realised that she could make enough, after including the incentives she gets from the ride-hailing platform.
Many youths, such as Ms Chen, 30, have turned to driving for Grab and Uber as a lucrative full-time job or an easy way to supplement their incomes outside their day jobs. But choosing to do so full-time carries some downsides for youths, as the job does not add to their resumes, observers said.
While driving for private-hire services may be a viable source of income for some, they do not have benefits such as Central Provident Fund contributions and medical leave, they added.
About 20 to 30 per cent of GrabCar drivers here are younger than 30, although the company’s country head for Singapore, Mr Lim Kell Jay, said in an interview with TODAY last month that an “extremely small” number do it as their primary source of income.
At Uber Singapore, a quarter of its drivers are below 30, said general manager Warren Tseng, adding that many chose to become drivers to pursue their financial goals, such as funding their higher education and supporting their families.
SIM University labour economist Walter Theseira said relying too heavily on driving for a private-hire service could harm a young person’s career prospects in the long term. It does not boost their resumes meaningfully and provides few transferable skills.
“The short-term wages ... may be good, but there are long-run effects on the worker’s employability and income security,” Dr Theseira said.
He expects the new Private Hire Car Drivers’ Vocational Licence regime — applications open on Monday (March 13) — to deter those who intend to drive for hire on an occasional basis “because licensing introduces a large fixed cost not just in terms of the licence and training fees, but also in time required”.
Member of Parliament (Ang Mo Kio GRC) Ang Hin Kee noted that the majority of Grab and Uber drivers drive to earn a secondary income, and could be transient. Most taxi drivers, by contrast, are full-time hirers, said the National Taxi Association executive adviser, noting that the minimum age for cabbies — 30 — came about as the Government wanted to encourage people to explore other careers before turning to driving a cab.
“You’re really comparing different working people’s preferences,” he added.
Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said the bigger issue for young private-hire drivers was underemployment — not landing jobs commensurate with their training. But he conceded that what they had studied in school may also not land them jobs that they want or that pay well enough to meet their needs.
To reduce this problem, Mr Choo suggested that career counselling services could be expanded, for instance. While younger drivers should not be denied the option of supplementing their income to support their families, Mr Choo said there was a limit to the amount they could earn and the pool of drivers would shrink over time as public transport evolves, with the rise of driverless technology. “For job security, we should want to plan for their longer-term (needs),” he added.
Ms Chen acknowledged that she does not always get a stable income driving for Grab. She recalled how she was forced off working for a week because of an illness once, but still had to continue paying rental.
But the flexibility of the job was a draw. “(I don’t) need to jam in the train (or) the bus, and will not be scolded if I’m late for work,” she said.
Ms Chen takes home an average of S$6,000 a month — after deducting car rental and petrol, as well as Grab’s 20 per cent cut — by driving every day, for about nine hours.
To qualify for incentives, the structures of which change weekly, Grab drivers must have a good driver rating, a low cancellation record and a high rate of accepting trips that are broadcast to them.
Uber, on the other hand, allows its drivers to multiply their fares with a “guaranteed boost” for all trips in specific areas with high demand at certain times.
For some, like father-of-two Jason Teo, 28, it is a matter of finding an extra stream of income to upkeep his family’s monthly expenses of about S$6,000, for which his full-time job as a sales executive alone cannot support. His wife stays home to take care of their children, aged one month and two years.
He drives about three hours after each workday and a full Saturday or Sunday.
He said: “(It’s) still manageable ... as long as you’re willing to drive and earn the money.”
For Ms Valerie Ho, 29, driving a private-hire car was an interim job option. After taking a break in 2012 to complete a pastry and bakery diploma, the former Traffic Police officer decided to apply for a return to the force. To earn some income while waiting for word from her former employer, she turned to driving with Uber part-time, but switched to full-time under Grab about three months ago.
She earns about S$600 a week now after deducting fuel and rental costs, but acknowledged that it could be higher.
“Sometimes I’ll be lazy ... (but it’s) definitely a daily source of income,” she said, adding that she will stop driving for Grab once she secures her former job.
-
Sometime, this news are added value to IRA on phv income, to boost it up will be stupid, and to put a boosted up figure on the news is stupidity at its very best. God bless them
-
Grab told me that taxi drivers don't have to apply for PHCVL to become a grab car driver.
is that true?
-
True, nothing but the truth