I REFER to last Saturday's report, 'Fewer people taking taxis, cab drivers feeling the pinch', which said the Land Transport Authority is providing $1 million to the taxi industry to help promote ridership.

This led me to think about some ways to make taking taxis a viable alternative to driving.

First, why not scrap Electronic Road Pricing charges payable by taxi commuters? There is this mentality that one may as well drive since one has to pay these charges anyway.

Second, remove or halve the booking surcharge for passengers boarding taxis from areas not accessible by public buses, for example, Jurong Industrial Estate.

It may not be possible to do away with the surcharge, but halving it helps to lower the cost of taking a taxi.

Commuters should not to be punished just because they are in areas that are not as accessible as the Central Business District.

Third, have central taxi stands in big private housing estates. This would make it easier for passengers in places such as Serangoon Gardens and Kovan, where there are large clusters of private housing, to get cabs. It would also make it easier for cabbies to locate passengers.

It is essential to reduce traffic congestion, especially as the Youth Olympic Games will be held here next year.

Athletes will have to be transported from the Nanyang Technological University games village to the eastern corridor to take part in their events.

Tan Pang Soon

This article was first published in The Straits Times.