4 Ways Taxi Companies In Singapore Can Improve
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From the perspective of a taxi company, the role of a business owner is not exactly the same as other businesses. In Singapore, taxi companies are a blend of service provider, transport and landlord (for renting the vehicles) - all in one.
With the recent invasion of Uber and consumer spending getting more frugal, how can a taxi company stay relevant in Singapore?
In line with our mission to fight the consumers' corner (helping Singaporeans get more for their money), we at GET.com have 4 suggestions for taxi companies here to consider when it comes to retaining taxi drivers and getting more business in return:
1. Invest In The Cabbies’ Well-Being
Even though taxi drivers are not considered as ‘employees’ of the taxi companies, they are still the face and body and soul of the taxi company.
Taxi companies could incorporate some kind of group health insurance plan for their drivers, and allow a certain amount of rent-free days for when the driver doesn’t feel physically or emotionally well enough to drive.
When the cabbies feel they are cared for as humans, they are more likely to be happier drivers, and that can also lead to a more positive image for the taxi company.
2. Improve On Technology
This is the age when people are relying more on their tablets, smartphones and computers than newspapers and TV. Thus the most natural way to reach your target audience would be having a company app that commuters find useful. It should be easy to navigate and have an attractive design to entice people.
The app could be personalised to remember commuters’ most frequently visited places and birthdays. As rewards are always the best way to make people happy, companies can better retain customers by linking them up with discounts and birthday fares.
Make your business a part of customer’s life and these customers will find it hard to leave.
3. Set Up An Online Forum
In cases where the mainstream media do not cover, the public will take the issue online. These days, online reviews and discussions tend to travel faster and have better penetration than what is reported on the TV.
Taxi companies can set up a forum where members of public can post their compliments (only compliments!) on the platforms for all to see.
The forum should allow commuters to upload pictures of cabbies and share how these cabbies made their journey an enjoyable one. This can encourage taxi drivers to improve, giving them a moral boost on their mundane job when they best need it.
Such sharing of positive stories also cultivates kindness among commuters towards cabbies. On the other hand, taxi companies should give some rewards for the good cabbies and post it on the forum (of course!) to show that the companies are appreciative of the cabbies’ good service.
Once a month (or more frequent if resources allow), the forum master can post an interview with some good cabbies to let the public understand better about our cabbies, and that they are human after all with their own life perspectives, family views and work attitude.
This will shorten the distance between commuters and cabbies, and serves as indirect advertisements for taxi companies.
4. Upgrade/Improve Existing Tools For Cabbies
Directions and routes are essential to a cabbie’s livelihood. Taxi companies can help their drivers to be more efficient by improving its GPS system, so as to better track their customers and cabbies’ behaviour. The GPS system can also recommend best routes to a destination for cabbies to list out for commuters to choose, and prompt taxi drivers of any traffic jams or road blocks to avoid.
Another suggestion is to have an "emergency" button built-in for cabbies to press when a passenger tries to rob/physically abuse the cabbie. This will ensure the safety of both passengers and cabbie.
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I suggest all cabbies visit https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/4-ways-taxi-companies-singapore-010423942.html?bcmt_s=m#ugccmt-container to defend taxi drivers' interests as there are people attacking cabbies' interests there.
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Got people suggest opening taxi industry to foreigners, got people say fuel price lower so taxi fare should be lowered, got people say get rid of OMOs and make it all double-shift drivers, got people say transcab cabbies attitude not good,,,,the list of complains goes on.....
So please go and flag as Dislike or answer back at Yahoo so that the authorities would not affect taxi drivers interests because of those comments.
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u think authorities will take action based on those comments ah?
if so, many things would have been actioned already loh
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I believe they do monitor such news and the comments as feedbacks too.
It's something like this......one of the decision makers during round-table talks would say.....I saw on yahoo an article about taxi drivers and people complained publicly that ...this and that....and said we should do ....this and that.......and many seems to agree with them.
When this thing happens, cabbies interests would be compromised.
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what abt passengers' interest?
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So far the only cannot solved problem is peak-hours harder to hail a taxi but this cannot be helped because of change-shift period and super high-demand during peak-hours and lower-demands during off-peak hours.
The public can indicate whatever things that they are not happy at yahoo but there would be cabbies answering back too.
One foreigner even suggested opening up the Singapore taxi industry to foreigners too.
One even claim that Singapore's taxi fare is higher than the fare in New York ( but this is not true is you look at this : http://www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/ ).
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u think company care about taxi drivers?when u get into an accident,the first thing they ask is the pax okay?any injuries to them?taxi drivers?u can call this number!! paxs complain only,u will be called up within a few days,most probably get warning letter.sometimes paxs just want to complain to get even with u,even though nothing serious happens!
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*My personal opinion*
All tis ideas are bullshit n won't wrk wan
The remote control is wit the top ppl
They will make the decisions
If they allow foreigners to drive wat can u do?
Go on strike? Throw key?
Then who's goin to feed the family pay the bills/loans etc etc
Majority tds are tied up wit commitments hardly will move
Will just bite the bullet n carry on....
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If they allow foreigners to drive, then all existing 100,000 vocatinoal taxi license holders would vote non-PAP. If you factor in their wives or husbands plus kids, you get 300,000 to 400,000 voters. If you factor in other Singaporeans who want taxi driving as backup job who have yet to get their taxi vocational license, you get at the minimum 400,000 to 500,000 voters. We only have a total of 2,460,484 voters based on election 2015-2016 figures. Closed to 20% of all voters is sufficient to cause a few GRCs to be lost if not force a government change.
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u think the govt won't do that.look at the PMET?only job reserved r their own jobs
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The best solution is for cabbies to find a way to exit the industry. This gets harder over time and is probably impossible for those in it for 5 or more years.
Don't worry about things that you cannot control, and which may even lead to frustration. Just go to the ballot box and vote opposition. Be deaf to PAP's election posturing, false claims and empty promises. Its time for some of them to be replaced. In fact our MPs can become better persons if they lost their position as Minister of State and become a State cabby for 5 years before coming back for re-election.
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IMO, Yahoo Singapore got a bunch of shithead amatuer foreigner and local writers making nothing but nonsensical yahooooooooo sound. They can't even write about local politics and govt policies...lols Of all the things to write, they go wrote about how to help taxi companies, oh my GOD, dun they read all these companies' financial reports? Dun they see the profit they are making, the new offices they are building, the newer taxis they are ordering, the rental they are increasing even when COE is falling???????? All taxi companies are earning good profits, so are dividends, shareholders are laughing all the way to the bank, and here you are teaching them how to run a taxi business??? Most of them are old timer in taxi business, you talk abt cdg, their management are already fairies and god in taxi business, and some companies' bosses like TC and Premier bosses already got 2 wives and 100 concubines... If you really want to write, write something with substance, something that is relevant and factual and in need of advices to help them, and these are usually the lower income group like TDs, teach them how to upgrade, how to find a niche in their life beyong taxis and how to cope with the ever increasing cost of living. I learned casket trade and many other trade like Marine and piping fitting is to make myself avaliable and flexible, therefore, training and education is the key to upgrade oneself to have better options and wider aspect of jobs, with the coming of Skill development funds whereby all citizens are given an amount for upgrading free, make use of it. The govt is not scare of you no money to pay for a course, they scare you do not want to take up these courses even given free.
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Originally posted by foolsh_2000:
u think the govt won't do that.look at the PMET?only job reserved r their own jobs
Ah fool ah fool, keep blaming the govt is good, but keep on blaming them can become an excuse and reason for us not to upgrade or give ourselve a chance. -
Yes, our govt can be fark type, but still better than some other countries, so take it or leave it, every 4 to 5years, we only got one chance to vote and decide the govt fate, other than that, nothing much change. Therefore, think wise, if we keep hampering on govt policies and rules, we will end up mostly like those tua pek kongs and tor tee kongs at kopitiam everyday cursing at govt here and there, but got nothing much to prove themselves. As such, we should alway learn to look back on ourselves and seriously ask ourselves, do we want to keep blaming the govt for our fate or do we want to create our own fate and make a better life for ourselves This earth is alway rotating, this world is alway changing, but if one do not change, nothing will ever change
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Originally posted by f1taxidriver:
The best solution is for cabbies to find a way to exit the industry. This gets harder over time and is probably impossible for those in it for 5 or more years.
Don't worry about things that you cannot control, and which may even lead to frustration. Just go to the ballot box and vote opposition. Be deaf to PAP's election posturing, false claims and empty promises. Its time for some of them to be replaced. In fact our MPs can become better persons if they lost their position as Minister of State and become a State cabby for 5 years before coming back for re-election.
From last election till now, the Service sector has been opened up (foreigner ratio to total ratio now set at 89:100). Now even harder to leave the industry. PM also signed agreements with heads of other countries to allow a lot of foreigners to be employed in Singapore I heard from one of my taxi customers .
Taxi industry not opened up yet but definitely would be retaliated if opened up.
If was ex-Minister of State (drawing million dollars salary), sure dont need to work for the rest of life (even if they have to send 3 kids to Harvard for education)...would not become cabby unless they pursue luxury until purchased bungalow at Sentosa Cove.
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In other countries, citizens get good jobs and FT become taxi drivers.
In Sinkie land, FT get good jobs and citizens become taxi drivers.
Still dun get it?
When a sinkie taxi driver gets a complaint by FT pax, the sinkie driver gets sacked and the FT gets free vouchers for more rides. And the sinkie gave more than 2 years of his life defending this country so that the FT can live here peacefully and behave like kings and queens.
Still dun get it? Sinkie pwn sinkie. FT pwn sinkie, song boh?
Vote wisely.
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Originally posted by Taxilim88:
In other countries, citizens get good jobs and FT become taxi drivers.
In Sinkie land, FT get good jobs and citizens become taxi drivers.
Still dun get it?
When a sinkie taxi driver gets a complaint by FT pax, the sinkie driver gets sacked and the FT gets free vouchers for more rides. And the sinkie gave more than 2 years of his life defending this country so that the FT can live here peacefully and behave like kings and queens.
Still dun get it? Sinkie pwn sinkie. FT pwn sinkie, song boh?
Vote wisely.
Don't say it that way, otherwise someone would say Singaporeans do not want Taxi drivers job and find excuses to let FTs take over.
True in some countries, FT become taxi drivers but in many developed countries (eg UK London ), taxi driver is a high-paying job only reserved for locals. In Australia, it used to be a good job until they opened it up to foreigners and it fell below minimum wage level. In Tokyo, it is all Japanese job but pay is much lower than average level because their authorities allowed too many taxis to operate and they are right now trying to remedy the situation.
This coming election is likely to be another watershed election. I attended political rallies by 4 different parties but voted PAP. This election, I would go for rallies by different parties again before I make my decision whether to vote PAP, void or non-PAP.
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Most TDs would gladly trade driving taxis if they can find a better job. Many were ex-PMEs with the right qualifications and experience. Noticed nowadays, the "T" is dropped from PMET as Technicians are considered low class and not executives.
I am living in an opposition GRC. Will be interested to know if PAP will put a high power Minister there. If yes, then the Minister will be sacrificial, unless it's the PM himself or his DPMs. If no, then you know they are not interested in taking back the GRC.
When opposition parties fail to win any constituency, you will see that they continue to fight in the same ward election after election without giving up.
When PAP loses a constituency or GRC, the whole team resigns or move on to do other things. None of those failures come back to fight in their defeated constituency except maybe for Potong Pasir. They go on to join the Private Sector with high salaries due to their previous connections. Where is the fighting spirit to win it back? You can be sure that the doctor will not contest in Punggol East SMC nor will that OYK contest back in Kaki Bt under Aljunied GRC.
So you think when Singapore fails, these people will be there to fight for you?
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PAP has some good strategists that is one of the many reasons why they have been able to win for so many years. They had their first taste of true defeat in 2011 when they lost Aljunied GRC. In that election, they fielded 4 Ministers (including one Mnister-to-be) against an A-team led by then 20-year MP LTK and lost. They probably made the decision to give up Aljunied GRC 1-2 years ago when they transferred Ong Ye Kung to another almost "sure-win" GRC. They have the manpower to fight MP LTK in Aljunied GRC and win if they field 5 Ministers led by at least a DPM but that would mean leaving the other GRCs vulnerable to attacks by the B,C and D teams of WP as well as the A teams of other parties. So they decided not to take the risk and use a Sun-Tze style overall win strategy. Use PAP's worst team to take on WP's A team as well as PAP's worst Single to take on WP's First Single (in Hougang). They are also fielding supposed-to-retire Charles Chong to challenge Li Lilian in Punggol East hoping for an unexpected bonus win while not sacraficing the new blood (now "Son of AMK"). That way, they would still win big and only have to lose in the most ideal scenario 7 seats only. Both ESM Goh and late MM LKY said before that "it is no big deal losing a GRC, sooner or later we have to lose one". Politics is about winning and not about fighting spirit. If it is about fighting spirit, one President's Scholar and one Harvard MBA holder who later on became Ministers after losing would never have made it to those important positions.
So PAP could accept losing only 7 seats only although it actually does not make a difference even if they lose 29 seats.this coming election as they would still have unrestricted rights to amend the Constitution. For this reason, you could expect Aljunied and Hougang to be WP's sure-win districts this coming election. The only controversy you see this time is NCMP YJJ losing his supposed to win Joo Chiat SMC when the boundaries were redrawn by PAP appointed committee members. They could have left Joo Chiat as SMC and downgraded Marine Parade to 4-men GRC.
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No no..this is what you think, but it is not PAP's strategy. In the 60th Anniversary rally of PAP last Dec, PM Lee said, "The party would fight to win every seat and this included WP-held Aljunied GRC, Hougang and Punggol East".
If they adopted a policy of picking and choosing which constituency to contest to be sure win and dropping others ( in the sense of not fielding a strong team) where they do not think they have a good chance, the whole morale of the party will be affected. They then do not deserve to lead Singapore.
In the PAP's strategy, there is no such thing as sure win. Nothing is to be taken for granted and every seat has the possibility of being lost.
Let's see how they intend to fight and take back those opposition held wards.
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They only said for the sake of saying and would field suicide parties in Hougang and Aljunied pulling out candidates like Ong Ye Kung from Aljunied. If really interested in winning at Aljunied would not pull out Ong Ye Kung.
They would not risk other districts to win at Aljunied and Hougang is the bottomline.
The party members do not expect PAP to win at Hougang and Aljunied anyway. They are educated people who knows that given 40% non-supporters, dropping only 7 seats is very fortunate already.
Where got must win at all districts for morale to be high? Win more than 50% seats can lead Singapore already.....no need to win all seats one.... National pledge says democratic system not communist one party sytem.
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This is the kind of support Workers Party received in Hougang and Aljunied in 2011 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGnkWmeg3MA ). PAP would not stand a chance there fielding 5 rookies.
These are the kinds of multi-racial ordinary supporters during the 2012 Hougang by-election : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLKUACIUNQ .
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Fielding OYK alone in Aljunied will not win the seat. The PM cannot just say for the sake of saying. People hold him accountable to his words. It is not a matter of must win all to have high morale, but how you fight to win. Imagine you are a party activist and grassroot working hard the last four years in Aljunied and PAP fields an unknown or their so called "worst" team to contest there. How will you feel?
Anyway, it remains to be seen how they will fight Aljunied. It is a dilemma for them. If George Yeo and his team would come back and fight in Aljunied saying that he will not forsake the residents even though he lost in 2011, I think they will stand a fighting chance.
And it is not communist or democratic system or what. A party that does not fight to win every seat may well lose the majority in government. This is how the PAP and LKY thinks.
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We shall all wait to see which scapegoat Minister will be PAP's team leader for Aljunied GRC. PAP lost in Aljunied with 4 ministers......they know they would lose there so they pulled out Ong Ye Kung.....anything less than 4 ministers there is not fighting to win.
PAP will contest every seat but really only fielding suicide parties in districts that they think they have least chance of winning.
I am not the only one that thinks that that team is suicide party, many people are saying the same thing too ( https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=pap+suicide+party+in+aljunied&start=0 ).
My bet is on WP to win in Aljunied and Hougang.
