If you find it harder to catch a cab these days, it could be because as many as 2,000 of them are lying idle in yards instead of plying the roads.
Higher rental rates, stricter service standards, competition from newcomers such as Uber and GrabCar, and higher incidence of traffic summonses have prompted many cabbies to give up driving taxis.
Trans-Cab, the second largest cab operator here, is one of the biggest victims of this fallout. When The Straits Times visited its premises in Defu and Sungei Kadut last week, there were as many as 800 red taxis parked bumper to bumper, many covered with a visible layer of dust.
The number could work out to 15 per cent of its fleet - the highest unhired rate since Premier Taxis could not hire out 10 per cent of its fleet in early 2009.
"Uber and GrabCar," managing director Teo Kiang Ang said immediately when asked about the situation. "These companies don't have to follow the LTA (Land Transport Authority) rules on taxi availability. They use nine- to 10-year-old cars; we cannot. They pay very low insurance premiums.
"They're having a free lunch."
Even if the other operators experienced a fraction of Trans-Cab's unhired rate, the number of cabs lying idle is likely to exceed 2,000.
Premier Taxis chairman Timothy Chua said there has been a dip in his fleet's hired-out rate, "but the alarm bells have not rung yet".
"There aren't enough drivers," he said. "It's hard to find good drivers."
Dr Lee Der-Horng, a transport researcher with the National University of Singapore, said the whole industry is affected by drivers switching to the likes of Uber and GrabCar. But the smaller cab operators are bearing the brunt of this, possibly because their drivers are not getting enough call bookings from their own dispatch systems.
"Having experienced the benefits of those taxi apps as compared to their own dispatch system, they switch," said Dr Lee.
"In future, nobody will want to be a taxi driver," he said. "The Government must do something."
ComfortDelGro, which accounts for 60 per cent of Singapore's total fleet of 28,600 cabs, declined to comment on the number of its taxis which are not hired out, saying it was "competitive information".
However, a stock analyst, who is covering the transport giant, said it was considering rolling out new incentives to attract drivers in the light of new competition. SMRT is doing likewise, confirmed its spokesman Patrick Nathan.
However, these may not be enough for some cabbies, who said driving a cab has become harder with new service standards stipulating that a taxi must clock at least 250km a day. "With Uber or Grab, you don't have to do this," said one. "You just wait for business to come to your phone."
With the roll-out of more bus lanes and illegal parking enforcement cameras, cabbies are also facing more fines now.
Trans-Cab cabby Francis Goh, 61, said: "Since taxis are a form of public transport, why not let us use the bus lanes as long as we don't stop?"
However, the single biggest factor behind the idle taxis is the higher rental rate. Daily rentals now range from around $130 for a regular cab to about $180 for a new Mercedes-Benz taxi - 50 per cent to 60 per cent higher than a decade ago.
The rental for an Uber car is as low as $60 a day.
An industry source said 30 per cent to 40 per cent of drivers who signed up with Uber and GrabCar fleets are former cabbies. There are an estimated 3,000 of such cars providing on-call taxi services.
Cabbies who have switched said attractions include having access to a car that does not have a taxi sign on its roof, and being able to fetch clients to Malaysia and back.
Mr Thomas Tan, 50, was among half a dozen cabbies who had given up their Comfort Mercedes cabs for Toyota Alphard MPVs.
"This is the new direction, and we're embracing it," he said.
His colleague Leslie Chang, 46, said: "This is like having our own car with a private number plate."
On average, Mr Chang said he does five to eight trips a day. "In a taxi, we had to do 20," he noted.
They pay less than $140 a day on rental, versus $178 for the Merc.
The LTA said 3.8 per cent of taxis - or more than 1,000 - were unhired as at June. Observers reckon the figure has climbed since.
Long long time than got bearish market......
Chiong ah!!!!.......
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:Long long time than got bearish market......
Chiong ah!!!!.......
now is bearish market already
Originally posted by bowah:Wha bro, I not so old leh, still can see lah, why your word size so big.
Anyway, Cdg is offering $1000 for recommending new hirers, wu lang bo??? share share, 70/30
don't know, i copy and paste
Originally posted by j007:now is bearish market already
But taxi coy very good in handling all this situation nowadays, like SARS like that......
Hope things get worst for them, than will see more goodies offer for the TD.....
The toughest will survive......
I already said CDG call centre and admin staff jia ba buay bao type. Since they are on company payroll, should just implement staff cabby career switch quietly. Everyday just clock 4 hours on their unwanted taxis behind, the balance 4 hours for admin duty.
Originally posted by f1taxidriver:I already said CDG call centre and admin staff jia ba buay bao type. Since they are on company payroll, should just implement staff cabby career switch quietly. Everyday just clock 4 hours on their unwanted taxis behind, the balance 4 hours for admin duty.
not all have VL.
Originally posted by bowah:Wha bro, I not so old leh, still can see lah, why your word size so big.
Anyway, Cdg is offering $1000 for recommending new hirers, wu lang bo??? share share, 70/30
Wah, you trying to sabotage new hirers ah? I just became a new hirer with Comfort a few days ago. No recommender but no contract.... if want to back out, 7 days notice nia..... if recommended in ones must stick with company and assigned car for 6 months..... if kena one low fuel efficiency one must suffer for 6 full months.
Warning liao.. warning liao... Foreign workers coming to town....
Originally posted by bowah:Wha bro, I not so old leh, still can see lah, why your word size so big.
Anyway, Cdg is offering $1000 for recommending new hirers, wu lang bo??? share share, 70/30
Phuii lah....
Come join me transcab. $1000 for hirer and relief. No need 70/30 lah. CDG how long take money? Transcab 5 days $100 6 months $450 12 months $450. Swee bo? drive 5 days you got $100 go find bak bak.
Don't worry. Still got plenty of new suckers at TDVL schools every week to trap. Classes day and night all full of TD wannabes. Drive what taxi, best is don't touch. Be security guard better. Just sleep and do some side jobs.
Anyone knows what the rates are for Uber and GrabCar ?
I was surprised that quite a number of Marina Sands Bay hotel customers use their service. I was queuing up at the hotel and noticed that many of their cars are so much smaller than Sonatas and they are squeezing into those small cars to go to airport. However the black maxicab-look-a-like limos are one class better than Sonatas.
It only cost $13.30 to go to airport during off-peak hours and $16.60 during peak hours using Sonatas from Marina Sands Bay.
If using cab-limo like Black Chrysler, it works out to only $20 and $25.
How much do Uber and GrabCar drivers charge to survive with only 5-8 trips per day? Somemore they have to pay more for fuel.
3000 taxi brothers joined GrabCar and Uber. This works out to be only 3000/50000=6% left for them. So 94% remains as regular taxi drivers.
Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:Phuii lah....
Come join me transcab. $1000 for hirer and relief. No need 70/30 lah. CDG how long take money? Transcab 5 days $100 6 months $450 12 months $450. Swee bo? drive 5 days you got $100 go find bak bak.
What do you mean by $1000 for hirer and relief?
5 days $100.... Does this means every 5 days you rent, you get rebate of $100?
Originally posted by Neutral-Thinker:Wah, you trying to sabotage new hirers ah? I just became a new hirer with Comfort a few days ago. No recommender but no contract.... if want to back out, 7 days notice nia..... if recommended in ones must stick with company and assigned car for 6 months..... if kena one low fuel efficiency one must suffer for 6 full months.
they want to tie u down, so their supply of rental income is secured, else no 'freebies' though u can always throw key with ample notice
vehicle issue, can throw back ask them to fix.
Originally posted by Neutral-Thinker:What do you mean by $1000 for hirer and relief?
5 days $100.... Does this means every 5 days you rent, you get rebate of $100?
Mean if I refer a hirer I get $1000 the newbie get $1000. 5 days later company pay out $100. Another 6 months pay out $450. 12 months later another $450. Total one year can get $1000 for each of us.
Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:Mean if I refer a hirer I get $1000 the newbie get $1000. 5 days later company pay out $100. Another 6 months pay out $450. 12 months later another $450. Total one year can get $1000 for each of us.
Wah...this seems like a lot....but it is a 1-year contract..... Do you know the kind of incentives Transcab drivers enjoy? How come they have problems renting out 800 vehicles now when the playing field is even with the introduction of GrabTaxi?
Still see many many taxi on the rd leh
Where got getting less?
Originally posted by Neutral-Thinker:Wah...this seems like a lot....but it is a 1-year contract..... Do you know the kind of incentives Transcab drivers enjoy? How come they have problems renting out 800 vehicles now when the playing field is even with the introduction of GrabTaxi?
It included all the "chow kar"......
Some try Renault for fun eh.....
Sometime, coy merciless, just simply tow, tow, tow......than no takers lor......
CDG also got many "chow kar" but I believe their finance dept are more open up to work out something for TD......
This is also one good reason to drive CDG.....other coy, LJ than talk to you.....
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:It included all the "chow kar"......
Some try Renault for fun eh.....
Sometime, coy merciless, just simply tow, tow, tow......than no takers lor......
CDG also got many "chow kar" but I believe their finance dept are more open up to work out something for TD......
This is also one good reason to drive CDG.....other coy, LJ than talk to you.....
SMRT will block ur meter leh
Their finance dept champion la lol
Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:Phuii lah....
Come join me transcab. $1000 for hirer and relief. No need 70/30 lah. CDG how long take money? Transcab 5 days $100 6 months $450 12 months $450. Swee bo? drive 5 days you got $100 go find bak bak.
What do you mean by "$1000 for hirer and relief"?
Still need to pay $1000 as deposit to transcab before can drive as relief or hirer correct?
Originally posted by sg11:What do you mean by "$1000 for hirer and relief"?
Still need to pay $1000 as deposit to transcab before can drive as relief or hirer correct?
Referral bonus for new hirer lah. So I intro someone I get $1000 the new guy get $1000. I am a relief also can get. As long as driving for transcab can intro and get the bouns.
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:It included all the "chow kar"......
Some try Renault for fun eh.....
Sometime, coy merciless, just simply tow, tow, tow......than no takers lor......
CDG also got many "chow kar" but I believe their finance dept are more open up to work out something for TD......
This is also one good reason to drive CDG.....other coy, LJ than talk to you.....
SMRT ok lah. Can talk one. Their finance dept good. I throw car back to them and otang more then $3K. Also installment pay back $200 slowly. Even I tio accident that time also tell them bo lui take car. They also can accept installment.