LIMOUSINE and MaxiCab drivers are unhappy with a new payment system which began at Changi Airport yesterday, replacing the previous flat fare with a meter-based charge.

No longer will a four-seater limousine cab cost $45 or the seven-seater MaxiCab $50 - no matter what the distance - if you take it at the airport.

Instead, the limos will levy the same metered charges as they do elsewhere other than the airport, starting with a flagdown fare of $3.20 or $5 for the Chrysler 300C cab. But they will be able to charge an extra $16 or $20 on top of the fare.

Drivers say that the distance-based fare new limousine taxi coordinator SMRT wants them to charge will cause them to lose money, even with surcharges.

Mr Richard Soh, 48, who has been driving a ComfortDelGro MaxiCab for three years, said: "We wait for about four to six hours each time at the airport for a passenger and not all travel long distances.

"Can you imagine how little we will earn if the passenger lives in Tampines?"

Under the new system, he will earn about $30 on weekdays for a trip from the airport to Tampines.

If drivers were unhappy, passengers were not.

Mr Vineet Puri, 39, a vice-president at cable channel MTV, travels overseas for work four to six times a year. "I have no choice but to take the limousine because I have a lot of luggage," he said. "The new system is good as I'm paying for the distance I travel."

Cab drivers who gathered at the airport yesterday were at first anxious, saying they had heard rumours of a fee change. They turned visibly agitated when the rumours were confirmed, and they were seen speaking to SMRT staff in raised voices.

A group of about 20 ComfortDelGro MaxiCab drivers said they were afraid that profits would dip.

The metered fare from the airport to Orchard Road is about $22. With the additional charges, limousine fares will now average $41 or $45.

Mr Jaya Mogan, 55, who has had a ComfortDelGro MaxiCab for four years, said: "We have worked hard to build a base of regulars who don't mind paying more for a premium service. Why does SMRT have to change everything now that they are in control?"

The limousine taxi service was started in 1996 to raise taxi service standards.

Last November, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore called for an open tender for the limousine taxi coordination service at the airport.

SMRT won the tender last month, taking over operations from ComfortDelGro yesterday. In response to the drivers' complaints, SMRT said yesterday that a distance-based fare scheme is fairer - and not only for passengers.

Said its spokesman: "For drivers ferrying passengers on long-distance journeys, the new charges would mean higher income. Similarly, passengers travelling shorter distances can get a limousine taxi at more affordable rates."

Some drivers said they would not bear with the long waits at airports any more.

Mrs Ivy Long, 52, said: "I am better off picking up passengers at other places such as Orchard Road or regulars whom I rely on for more than half of my bookings."

Additional reporting by Jalelah Abu Baker

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 9, 2009.

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