TWO temporary taxi stands will be set up for the Chinese New Year festivities at Marina Bay and Chinatown, while more such stands are planned for other major events this year.
The Taxi Operators' Associations, which represents six taxi companies, said the pick-up points will be more convenient for passengers who usually have to walk a fair distance to find a stand, and will hopefully boost revenues for cabbies.
Mr Seng Han Thong, its adviser, said temporary stands helped raise the income of cabbies during the Formula One race last September.
Speaking to reporters at Marina Bay after the ground-breaking ceremony for the River Hongbao display, Mr Seng said: "Whatever festival you can think of, we should do: National Day, Deepavali, Christmas light-up."
Drivers are looking for ways to generate business as passenger numbers dwindle amid a deepening recession.
According to statistics from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), taxi ridership dipped 7 per cent from August to October last year, bottoming out at about 855,000 passengers.
The Taxi Operators' Associations has also asked the LTA to allow taxi companies to lay up their unhired taxis.
Laying up a vehicle means road tax payments are temporarily suspended and the clock on certificates of entitlement is stopped. Industry sources said there are more than 1,000 cabs waiting for potential drivers, out of the 24,000 registered taxis here.
"We hope that if the companies save money on these unhired taxis, they will channel the money back to help taxi drivers ride out this crisis," said Mr Seng.
Asked if the body would consider lowering fares to increase demand for taxis, he said the move may be considered later but it was a "complicated" issue.
During this downturn, training for taxi drivers will also be a priority; it will work with other agencies to offer subsided courses in conversational English and customer service.
In the midst of finding ways to boost driver income, it is also dealing with the unhappiness of some limousine drivers who feel they will lose money due to a new payment system at Changi Airport.
SMRT, which took over the running of the limousine taxi service at Changi Airport on Thursday, decided to do away with $45 and $50 flat fees.
Instead, limousine cabbies will charge $16 on top of the metered fare or $20 if they drive a Chrysler 300C cab.
SMRT's rationale for the new system is to encourage more limousine bookings as distance-based charges are "fairer".
It reasoned that drivers ferrying passengers on long-distance trips to places like Jurong West would earn $49 instead of the $45 flat fee. Passengers going short distances can get a limousine taxi at more affordable rates.
Passengers taking the limousine taxi, who are mostly tourists, said that they were fine with either system. Reactions from cabbies, however, were mixed.
Said SMRT MPV cabby Ganesan Selliaya, 49: "Some people see $45 and they are scared off. Maybe now that it's $16, more people will want to take the taxi."
But others, like limousine driver Yap Tiong Min, 66, were certain of a drop in income.
"Tourists and business travellers who take a cab will take it no matter the price. But if they expect more locals to take this cab, they can forget it. Even at $16 no one will take it," he said.
mariaa@sph.com.sg
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 10, 2009.
