Another Nosebleed

From Smoot

To Taxi Company

Subject: Taxis are hiding again

Dear Sirs

I tried to call your hotline at 6552 4522 both last night and this morning but without success. I work at Suntec City and it is a constant struggle to get a taxi every day, unless we leave the office before close of business. In contrast, when there was recent media coverage on the shortage of taxis and cab companies started to clamp down on taxis which refused to pick up customers, it became extremely easy to get a cab literally overnight.

I'm not sure what measures you have taken to get more taxis to pick up flag-down passengers but they do not seem to be effective at all. I have been attending the Entropolis conventions at Suntec City up till 10 pm every night this week and it is impossible to get a cab. I'm not talking about flag-downs here. Comfort cabs which were empty just drove past all the people around me who were trying to flag them down. I tried to call a cab at 6552 1111 and only managed to secure a cab after half an hour of trying.

The taxi queues at Suntec (Convention Centre, Suntec Towers 1, 2, 3, 4 and Millenia Towers) were all long queues with no cabs coming in to pick up any passengers. I walked up to an empty taxi (a blue comfort cab) that was parked outside Millenia Walk, with the taxi driver reading a newspaper and the lights on, both in the taxi as well as on top of the taxi, indicating that he was available to pick up passengers. He waved his hand at me to indicate that he was not taking any passengers, and then went back to his newspaper.

Last night, I tried calling for half an hour and was not successful. I managed to get a lift from a private car. Whilst waiting for the car, I took down the numbers of all the taxis which were empty, had no "On Call" signs and which refused to pick up passengers. As at 1 November 2006, 10.35 pm to 10.50 pm, these are: 1. SHA 8726L 2. SHA 2629Z 3. 6349A (Mercedes cab) 4. SH 8869R 5. SH__ 9087K 6. 7226U (a blue comfort cab) 7. 7268G (a blue comfort cab) 8. SHA 6516P 9. SHC 2895K 10. SHB 4346R 11. SHB 8662G 12. SHB 3197R

I also saw a very long line of taxis 'hiding' under the Sheares Bridge at Raffles Avenue with their lights partially off. They appeared to be waiting for calls.

This situation is intolerable.

I had just come from a very successful [ ___ ] Dinner with more than 100 overseas guests all of whom were stuck at the Marina Mandarin after the dinner unable to leave because there were simply no taxis willing to pick up passengers. What a memorable end to what was a very well-organised dinner function, which had been hosted by the EDB in its continuing efforts to bring more foreign investment into Singapore.

As an indication of how embarrassing the situation was, 1 cab finally picked up the first passenger in the queue after half an hour of waiting. No more cabs arrived after that. Please do something about this.
...............
Dear Smoot

I refer to your email on November 02 with regard to the above-mentioned.

We view pick and choose behaviours by taxi drivers seriously.

Drivers are not allowed to reject any fares so long as the taxi is available for hire.

Cabbies who are en route to changing shift must display the “Shift Change” message on the rooftop display and to activate the “Busy” signage when attending to personal matters.

Please be assured we will take the appropriate disciplinary action against all the drivers and will firmly remind them to adhere to the service standards as set out by our company.

Your complaint will be filed into their service record and we will closely monitor their performance closely.

Meanwhile we will inform our Enforcement Team to step up checks along Suntec City area to weed out drivers who pick and choose.

Thank you once again for your valuable feedback.

Yours sincerely

Taxi Company