Please share your views to this idea contributed by Mr. Lee WL
My idea:
- Taxi companies to build big carparks in different parts of Singapore to house all the taxis.
- Taxi drivers can take a rest, surf internet and interact with one another in rest areas.
- Each driver will take queue up for taxi booking calls from customers
- They will drive to the customer's location only when they get a booking
- They will drive back to one of these "big taxi carparks" to queue for customers again
Benefits:
- Reduces fuel wastage (substantially). No taxis cruising on the roads. Environmentally-friendly.
- Reduces fuel costs for taxi drivers (substantially).
- Less road congestion. Empty cruising taxis on roads are not using the space they occupy on public roads "productively".
- More rest for taxi drivers. They need not cruise around Singapore to look for customers. Probably will reduce accident rates too.
- More productive use of time. They can use the queuing time at rest centres to rest, surf internet, self-study, interact with other drivers and do other more productive things.
- Possibily cheaper taxi rides. Because of substantial reduction in costs.
- More people may be more open to becoming taxi drivers because of better working conditions and higher pay (is it possibe?)
Disadvantages:
- Longer taxi waiting time for commuters. Taxis need time to travel from these "big taxi centres". Possible solution: when commuters get used to this new system, they will call to book taxi before they leave their homes. This reduces the waiting time. When this system is in place, it will also mean that commuters need not waste time trying to flag for taxis along roads. They know that the only way they can get a taxi is through booking calls.
In conclusion, empty taxis cruising on public roads is:
1. Waste of the drivers' time
2. Unproductive use of space on public roads
3. Not environmentally-friendly
4. Increases costs of operating taxis
Mr. Lee WL
My idea:
- Taxi companies to build big carparks in different parts of Singapore to house all the taxis.
- Taxi drivers can take a rest, surf internet and interact with one another in rest areas.
- Each driver will take queue up for taxi booking calls from customers
- They will drive to the customer's location only when they get a booking
- They will drive back to one of these "big taxi carparks" to queue for customers again
Benefits:
- Reduces fuel wastage (substantially). No taxis cruising on the roads. Environmentally-friendly.
- Reduces fuel costs for taxi drivers (substantially).
- Less road congestion. Empty cruising taxis on roads are not using the space they occupy on public roads "productively".
- More rest for taxi drivers. They need not cruise around Singapore to look for customers. Probably will reduce accident rates too.
- More productive use of time. They can use the queuing time at rest centres to rest, surf internet, self-study, interact with other drivers and do other more productive things.
- Possibily cheaper taxi rides. Because of substantial reduction in costs.
- More people may be more open to becoming taxi drivers because of better working conditions and higher pay (is it possibe?)
Disadvantages:
- Longer taxi waiting time for commuters. Taxis need time to travel from these "big taxi centres". Possible solution: when commuters get used to this new system, they will call to book taxi before they leave their homes. This reduces the waiting time. When this system is in place, it will also mean that commuters need not waste time trying to flag for taxis along roads. They know that the only way they can get a taxi is through booking calls.
In conclusion, empty taxis cruising on public roads is:
1. Waste of the drivers' time
2. Unproductive use of space on public roads
3. Not environmentally-friendly
4. Increases costs of operating taxis
Mr. Lee WL
8 comments:
Dear Mr Tan
IMHO, I think this is an idea well worth trying.
But having said that, I'm intrigued by a thought. If I am a billionaire living in Singapore (with unlimited supply of money), what are the barriers that I will have to overcome in order to try out this idea?
I want to see if Singaporeans are just a bunch of complainers OR there is justification in saying that Singaporeans cannot get anything done by ourselves because of over-regulation.
The barriers (& I stand corrected) as I see it are:
a)Supply of land.
Government owns more than 80%-90% of land in Singapore. So have to wait for some govt. agency to see the merit of this idea in order to get the needed land.
LTA? Ministry of Transport? Ideas anyone?
b)Assume government makes the land available.
Government is not going to just "give" me the land.
Likely, the land will have to go for a tender in order to ensure transparency & fair market price.
So the government will now alert all my competitors (existing taxi companies) about my innovative business idea in the public tender document.
All my research, innovation & hard work is now in the public domain.
I'll leave it to other Singaporeans & entrepreneurs to fill in other details.
I hope I'm wrong. Please tell me I'm wrong.
Taxis in Australian cities do not cruise around for fares.
Commuters have to go to a taxi rank ( taxi pick up point ) to get a taxi or to call the taxi company for one.
In this instance, the taxi will go to your address as stated by your call.
In the proposed system, after transporting the commuter to the destination, it will be unproductive for the taxi to return to the taxi centres empty.
There will be more charges to compensate for that.
In Mongolia private cars in Ulan Bator can pick people up and charge a fee similar to taxis. This is based on distance traveled and the price is agreed before boarding.
Singapore is safe and people sitting in cars belonging to strangers should not be an issue.
This is the fastest way of resolving taxi problem here: any saloon car should be allowed to pick people up for a fee that is agreed in advance.
There are so many cars with drivers only.. all heading home or to work. Allow them to pick/drop off passengers for a fee.
This will really add competition for the taxi companies!
They must of course obey the usual traffic rules: pick up at taxi stands only within the CDB.
Outside the CDB, the normal traffic rules apply.
I am sure many car owners wont mind earning some petrol allowances.
Simple, straight forward and demand is met with supply by a stroke of a pen!
Clarification:
The big multi-storey taxi carparks in different parts of Singapore are meant for taxis from all companies.
There is no discrimination. Priority is purely on a "first-come-first-served" basis.
referring to mr lee's suggestion, this is what i have to say:
His idea:
- Taxi companies to build big carparks in different parts of Singapore to house all the taxis.
my comment:
where can you find land resources for such needs? also, taxi companies will not want to come out with such money to build parking space for taxi drivers, don't forget they are mercenaries, not welfare organisations.
- Taxi drivers can take a rest, surf internet and interact with one another in rest areas.
my comment:
currently, airport is the common resting place for us, we rest while we queue or at the canteen area. we chat and have coffee or meal break.
- Each driver will take queue up for taxi booking calls from customers
my comment:
currently, we bid for jobs on the road, the ones who are nearer to the job call will be most likely to be given the job. If we are to wait in queue for jobs, given about 30,000 cabs on the road, how long do i have to wait to get one call-booking? are we going to centralise and merge all taxi companies?
- They will drive to the customer's location only when they get a booking
- They will drive back to one of these "big taxi carparks" to queue for customers again
my comment:
in this manner, we taxi drivers sure to make less money. with daily rental of $100++ per day, how many jobs can we get to cover and how many hours do we need to clock in to make $100 daily profit?
as of now, we are raking in about $15 to $20 per hour(average) by going around on the road, with 10 hours a day, then can we make about $100+- profit provided with 2 drivers to a taxi.
i'd say you all are too idealistic with no practical experience from the ground. S'pore is unlike other cities like in australia, we have a bustling night life, from the boat quays, supper joints and night clubs.
car-pooling as the other author suggest is good idea but again with typical self-fish minded singaporean mentality. i doubt many will want to participate in this. they'd rather have the car on their own. you may want to check with lorry drivers who ferry the bangala workers to work site, i think they will be more happy to earn extra.
please feel free to comment if you think i may have wrong perception, i 'd be most happy to hear from any of you. thanks, cheers and have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012:)
Hi Bsim. I agree with you on your views.
A further study needed to see whether what Mr Lee *think* is cost cutting actually what is advertised.
In order to implement that, we need to established a verifiable mathematical model to simulate commuters and see whether the proposed idea actually is saving fuel consumption, save taxi drivers time, saving commuters' time etc.
Ideas untested can be thrown in by any. But whether it holds it's another thing.
Daniel: u are correct. The proper sequence of events now is: 1. Surface this proposal to the relevant authorities attention 2. They are to examine the proposal based on their 'expert knowldge 3. If they think that it could be feasible and will result in substantial benefits, they should conduct a study. 4. If study results is positive, Then implement it on a small-scale (if feasible) to gauge unforeseen complications. 5. If still feasible after testing, implement the revamped system 6. Continue to monitor and make changes
Thank you for all your constructive comments. This is a constructive debate
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