I REFER to your report, "The Bullied Cabbies", (Feb 29).
I am not surprised to learn that some passengers would shout at or scold the drivers, or even not pay the fare.
I am a Frenchman and I have been working near the Changi Airport since last July.
The public transport and private bus services in this area are inadequate so, sometimes, I have to take a taxi to leave my office at the end of the day.
My office is near Alps Avenue which is in the Changi Airport area, so taxis that come here levy a surcharge of $4.
I find this surcharge very unfair to workers in this area, who may need to take a cab to reach the nearest MRT station every working day. The surcharge should apply only to passengers who depart from or arrive at the airport.
On Feb 28, I walked for about 10 minutes from my office to the nearby Changi Coast Road to take a taxi to Tampines MRT station, as I didn't want to pay the surcharge.
After 20 minutes of waiting by the road, an available cab approached and I flagged it down.
But he turned on his "On Call"sign the moment he saw me. He then turned into Alps Avenue - obviously to pick up a passenger there so he could charge the extra $4.
Then I called for a taxi but, apparently, no cabbies would accept the booking. Is it because they cannot charge the extra $4 from my pick-up location?
I got a taxi eventually but was charged $22.15 for the 13.6-km journey from Changi Coast Road (near the Ferry Terminal) to Tampines MRT station.
A friend who takes frequent taxi rides on the same route later told me that each trip is only about $10.
