bas dan teksi

fatzcomel

Wheelchair friendly, but you can't board
By Esther Ng, TODAY | Posted: 02 October 2008 1134 hrs



SINGAPORE: The message of the little blue sticker seems obvious: We抮e a wheelchair-friendly bus. But, as disabled commuters have found out the hard way, it doesn抰 necessarily mean they抮e welcome aboard.

Mr Lee Jun Hui, flagged down SBS Service No 57 outside One Raffles Quay three weeks ago. Though the decal declaring it a wheelchair accessible bus (WAB) was displayed on the windscreen, the driver refused to let him on.

揌e said he was not authorised to do so. I抎 understand if the bus was crowded, but it wasn抰,

fatzcomel

SBS Transit fined $9,300, SMRT $1,000 for lapses in bus services
Posted: 15 October 2008 1127 hrs



SINGAPORE: The Public Transport Council has fined SBS Transit S$9,300 and SMRT Buses S$1,000 for lapses in service standards in the six months from December 2007 to May 2008.

The council said the fines are due to the incompliance of standards such as operating scheduled trips, adhering to scheduled headways or frequency of services, as well as passenger load.

However, the council noted that the bus operators have been able to meet most required standards, and have kept breakdown and accident rates low.

This penalty framework started in October 2007, to enforce "Quality of Service" standards set for basic bus services.

Fines range from S$100 a day per bus service route, to S$10,000 a month per breach of standards.

The council reviews the bus services, and announces the results every April and October.

- CNA/yt

fatzcomel

All small buses to install seat belts within 5 years
By Lin Jiamei, 938 LIVE | Posted: 16 October 2008 1457 hrs



SINGAPORE: All small buses will be required to install seat belts in their vehicles over the next five years, with the government forking out S$35 million to help operators defray the costs.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday that the operators will have to install three-point seat belts and not lap belts, and will also have to ensure that the seats are forward-facing.

Small buses typically carry up to 15 passengers.

For newly registered small buses, the new requirements will kick in from April 1 next year.

For existing small buses carrying school children, they will have to complete the retrofitting within three years - by 31 December 2011.

All other small buses will have a five-year period to comply - seat belts will have to be in place by 31 December 2013.

There are currently about 6,400 small buses in Singapore, of which less than 20 per cent, or about 1,200 buses, ferry school children.

The bus operators will be compensated with S$4,000 per vehicle, a sum which the Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Lim Hwee Hua, said is more than adequate to cover the cost of installing the seat belts.

For small school buses which may be affected by a reduction of capacity as a result of the installation, they will be given an extra compensation of between S$1,000 and S$3,000.

LTA said details of the requirements are finalised after consultations with key stakeholders as well as recommendations from international consultants.

- 938 LIVE/yb

fatzcomel

PROJEK 'CO-SPACE'

MASA TUNGGU TEKSI LEBIH PENDEK

Jadi kenyataan apabila sistem peruntukan kenderaan bijak siap dan dilaksana bagi khidmat teksi

Oleh
Shamsul Jangarodin

PENGGUNA teksi boleh menjangka masa menunggu teksi lebih pendek apabila sebuah sistem peruntukan teksi dihasilkan dan dilaksana di sini.

Dengan menggunakan video dan gambar, sistem itu membolehkan pengguna teksi mendapat maklumat tentang perhentian teksi di sekeliling mereka yang mempunyai barisan terpendek.

Ia membolehkan juga maklumat mengenai jumlah pengguna yang inginkan teksi di sesebuah kawasan disampaikan kepada syarikat pengendali teksi untuk penghantaran teksi lebih efektif.

Sistem yang dinamakan 'Peruntukan Kenderaan Dinamik' itu bertujuan mempertingkat mutu perkhidmatan dan operasi teksi dengan cara menghubungkan bekalan teksi dengan permintaan penumpang dalam masa sebenar.

Apabila siap, dijangka paling cepat satu setengah tahun dari sekarang, tidak termasuk tempoh percubaan, sistem peruntukan bijak itu akan menjadi sistem serupa itu yang pertama di dunia melibatkan perkhidmatan teksi.

Penghasilnya ialah Stratech Systems Limited, sebuah syarikat yang disenarai di bursa saham utama Singapura.

Ia antara 13 syarikat yang menyahut seruan Penguasa Pembangunan Media (MDA) dan membentangkan pelbagai saranan pembaharuan bagi menjayakan industri Co-Space.

Co-Space adalah generasi web akan datang yang membolehkan ruang fizikal diwujudkan bersama ruang dan sekitaran maya, sekali gus membolehkan penyaluran tanpa batas maklumat antara dua ruang itu.

Kesemua 13 syarikat telah diberi dana bernilai lebih $12 juta daripada Pejabat Program Penyelidikan dan Pengembangan Media Digital Interaktif (IDMPO) MDA.

Dalam satu kenyataan semalam, Pengerusi Eksekutif Stratech System, Dr David Chew, berkata sistem itu selaras dengan visi syarikatnya, iaitu 'realiti terhubung', yang bertujuan meningkatkan kuasa Internet bagi penggunaan dalam kehidupan harian.

'Pengguna dan pemandu teksi sering gelisah apabila masing-masing ingin mendapatkan teksi dan penumpang. Teksi mungkin sedang menanti penumpang di sebuah perhentian teksi kosong, manakala pengguna pula sedang menunggu teksi di barisan panjang tanpa sebarang teksi.

'Teknologi ini mempunyai potensi untuk berkembang, seperti dalam penggunaan khidmat lokasi, komputing bergerak, sistem pengangkutan bijak, sensor bijak dan perisian,' kata Encik Chew.

hangjebat

ada tak midnight express bus
from Singapore to KL

- amik tiket kat mana?
- berapa tambang?

terima kasih

fatzcomel

Singapura : 2 Disember 2008         
         
PERATURAN WAJIB BERI LALUAN KEPADA BAS

PARA pengguna jalan raya tidak lama lagi wajib memberi laluan kepada bas-bas yang keluar dari perhentian bas, atau menerima risiko didenda $130.

Bermula 20 Disember ini, projek perintis itu akan dikuatkuasakan di 23 perhentian bas terpilih di tiga jalan utama di sini - Bukit Batok East Avenue 3, Toh Tuck Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8.

Skim 'Wajib Memberi Laluan kepada Bas' itu bertujuan melicinkan lagi perjalanan bas di jalan-jalan raya di sini, di mana wujudnya petak-petak kuning bagi memudahkan laluan bas keluar dari perhentian bas, dan tanda-tanda pemberitahuan akan dipasang 100 meter sebelum perhentian bas.

Memberikan perincian tentang pelaksanaan skim baru itu semalam, Penguasa Pengangkutan Darat (LTA) menjelaskan bahawa pengguna jalan raya yang melihat tanda-tanda jalan ini dikehendaki memperlahan kenderaan mereka dan memastikan tiada bas yang ingin keluar dari perhentian bas.

Pengguna jalan raya kemudian diperlukan berhenti di belakang garisan dan memberi laluan kepada bas untuk keluar, sebelum menyambung perjalanan mereka.

Mereka yang gagal berbuat demikian boleh didenda $130.

'Kami percaya langkah mewajibkan pengguna jalan raya memberi laluan kepada bas boleh mempertingkat masa perjalanan bas dengan berkesan. Kini 10 peratus masa perjalanan bas dihabiskan menunggu di perhentian bas,' ujar Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif SBS Transit, Encik Gan Juay Kiat.

LTA akan memantau keberkesanan skim di tiga lokasi tersebut selama tiga bulan sebelum membuat keputusan meluaskan skim ini ke lokasi-lokasi lain.

fatzcomel

Prime Taxis introduces 20 petrol-powered taxis
By Liang Kaixin/Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 December 2008 2143 hrs



SINGAPORE: Even though petrol is more expensive than diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG), one taxi operator has decided to introduce petrol-powered cabs on the roads.

Prime Taxi launched 20 petrol-powered taxis, 10 of which are MPVs which can sit up to seven passengers per car.

These petrol-powered taxis are said to be more energy efficient.

For every litre of petrol, one such cab can run 12 kilometres, three kilometres more than a diesel-powered taxi.

The company, which has a fleet of 400 CNG taxis, said cabbies find it inconvenient to top up on gas even though CNG costs 20 per cent cheaper than petrol.

Other taxi operators said they have no plans to roll out petrol-powered cabs as fluctuating petrol prices could hurt cabbies' income. - CNA/vm

fatzcomel

  

Ride, surf & print

FOR seven months, this Comfort taxi has been on Singapore roads with a service that not many know about.

It offers passengers the use of a laptop to surf the Internet and a printer to churn out documents.

And the best part of this unusual service?

It's free, thanks to the taxi driver, Mr Mohamed Rafee.

Said the 47-year-old, who has been driving a cab for 15 years: 'I surf the Internet a lot and I read a lot of stuff online. So it struck me that I should provide this service for my passengers as well.'

Mr Rafee got the idea when he brought his own Fujitsu laptop into his cab one day, to surf the Net while waiting for passengers.

Then, some of his passengers noticed the laptop and started to ask Mr Rafee if they could use it, he said.

Soon, more and more people started asking.

Eventually, Mr Rafee decided to throw in a printer as part of his service.

The self-confessed techie believes that it benefits his passengers, especially tourists.

'Passengers who are going to the airport are often in such a rush that they forget to print their boarding passes. I reassure them and tell them they can still print it on board my taxi,' he said, with a laugh.

As for cost, Mr Rafee said: 'It's quite cheap to maintain, and doesn't affect my profit margin.'

Mr Rafee, who used to work at a tech company until he was retrenched in 1995, said he set everything up himself.

He has put up a sign offering the laptop and takes it out only when someone asks for it.

If the passengers prefer to have it hanging in front of them, perhaps to watch clips on YouTube, it can be hooked to the top of the taxi.

The printer is connected to the laptop wirelessly and both devices are powered by the car's battery.

And there's more.

Recently, Mr Rafee added a webcam to his collection of gadgets.

That too, is available to passengers upon request.

'I used to put my webcam on the dashboard,' Mr Rafee said. 'However, some passengers who entered my taxi would exclaim 'Woah! Why is there a camera?'

'So I decided to keep the camera away and put a sign up to tell passengers that it is available upon request.'

Other gadgets

There are also other useful gadgets stashed away in his car, including a USB thumbdrive and a mobile Nokia handphone charger.

Mr Rafee is also planning to add a universal charger to his collection.

Has anyone abused his service?

'Customers return my stuff and do the right thing. They don't do anything funny,' said Mr Rafee.

Undoubtedly, his passengers are impressed when they enter his cab.

Mr H N Murugan, 29, who works as a chief technical officer, said: 'This is a wonderful and valuable service. For a guy working in the IT industry, I often look around for technical support and I am delighted that Mr Rafee provides these services for passengers on board his cab.'

A regular passenger, Mr F H Francesco, who is in his 40s, said: 'I appreciate this service a lot. It is very creative and innovative. I hope other taxi drivers will follow his example.'

Another passenger, Mr K Jotheeswaran, 36, a flight attendant, has other reasons to prefer this taxi.

'I like Mr Rafee's friendly manner,' he said. 'He leaves a very good impression and is very willing to help the elderly get into and out of his taxi. His taxi is also very clean and tidy.'

So will other taxi drivers follow this example set by Mr Rafee?

Not everyone was enthusiastic.

One Comfort driver, a 52-year-old who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, said: 'These services are not practical. It is a complete waste of money. Anyway, Singapore is so small. How long will passengers be in my taxi?'

Another taxi driver, Mr Chin Chau How, 55, said: 'If the passengers want such a service, they will ask for it. If not, there is no point.'

Sing Keng Loon, newsroom intern

fatz2

2 cab stands for CNY crowd
By MARIA ALMENOAR

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.

fatzcomel

Maxicabs to charge flat rate
By Maria Almenoar

MAXICABS have been given the go-ahead to return to charging a flat rate for trips from the airport, following an appeal against the new fare structure for limousine services from there.

Other limousine cabs - the Chryslers, Mercedes-Benzes and Ssangyong MPVs - still have to follow SMRT's new fare system.

The 10-day-old system requires limo cabs to go by the meter and levy a $16 surcharge on top of the metered fare. (It is $20 for Chrysler 300C cabs.)

The exception made for MaxiCabs follows a meeting held on Wednesday between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and cabby representatives on the issue.

After all grievances were aired, CAAS arranged for the 200 or so seven-seater MaxiCabs to run a shuttle service for a flat fare of $50.

They pay Woodlands Transport, a company which runs a shuttle bus service, a $7 levy to do this.

MaxiCab driver Jayamogan Singaram, 55, whose daily takings have fallen 65 per cent from $400, was cheered by the news. Lately, he has not been able to cover the $105 rental on his vehicle after paying for fuel.

He said: 'I'm glad CAAS listened to us but I hope that our other limo taxi friends will get some good news soon too.'

fatzcomel

Singapura : 24 Januari 2009         
  
TAMBANG BAS DAN MRT DIJANGKA DITURUNKAN TIDAK LAMA LAGI

SBS dan SMRT tidak akan mohon semakan tambang

TAMBANG bas dan kereta api MRT dijangka turun tidak lama lagi, demikian diumumkan oleh Majlis Pengangkutan Awam (PTC) semalam.

PTC berkata dua pengendali pengangkutan awam - SBS Transit dan SMRT Corp - tidak akan membuat permohonan bagi semakan tambang tahunannya.

Langkah yang diambil oleh kedua-dua pengendali itu diumumkan sehari selepas pemerintah membentangkan Belanjawan daya tahan berjumlah $20.5 bilion bagi mengharungi krisis kewangan global.

Pakej itu turut merangkumi potongan cukai korporat dan hartanah; skim kredit memberi geran tunai kepada majikan dan bantuan bagi sektor pengangkutan.

Menyusuli langkah yang diumumkan pemerintah itu, pengendali pengangkutan awam mahu mengembalikan penjimatan yang mereka terima kepada pengguna dan memastikan Belanjawan 2009 itu turut memanfaatkan orang ramai.

Pengerusi PTC, Encik Gerard Ee, berkata:

'Saya amat gembira apabila mengetahui para pengendali menangguhkan permohonan bagi semakan tambang bagi tahun ini.

'Mereka juga bersedia untuk bekerjasama dengan PTC bagi mengurangkan kadar tambang bas dan kereta api bagi 2009.'

Kadar tambang disemak setiap tahun berdasarkan formula dua komponen yang akan dikekalkan - Indeks Harga Pengguna (CPI) dan kadar purata kenaikan gaji (WI).

Komponen daya penghasilan pengendali pengangkutan awam akan diberi perkiraan lebih besar dalam formula baru itu.

Jika formula itu diguna pakai, kadar tambang bagi bas dan kereta api tahun ini boleh naik sehingga 5 peratus - kenaikan terbesar dalam tempoh 10 tahun.

Namun terdapat klausa yang membenarkan formula itu melihat kepada CPI dan kadar purata gaji, peningkatan harga minyak/tenaga serta kadar kos pengendalian secara keseluruhan.

PTC berkata ia akan bekerja lebih cepat dengan pengendali pengangkutan tentang kadar tambang yang bakal diturunkan itu.

Keputusan mengenai kadar tambang baru itu dijangka diumumkan sebelum penghujung bulan depan.

Ketua Jawatankuasa Parlimen Pemerintah (GPC) bagi Pengangkutan, Encik Cedric Foo, menyambut baik langkah yang diambil oleh pengendali pengangkutan itu.

'Saya gembira kerana formula semakan semula kadar tambang tidak dilaksanakan secara membuta tuli,' ujar Encik Foo.

'Ini adalah waktu yang luar biasa yang memerlukan langkah luar biasa. Jika kadar tambang dikurangkan, kebaikan mereka tidak akan mudah dilupakan,'

Mendengar berita baik itu, pengguna MRT, Encik Salman Malik, 47 tahun, yang bekerja sebagai pegawai pentadbir berkata:

'Saya kira penurunan tambang ini akan membantu kami mengharungi waktu sukar terutama seperti saya yang mempunyai tiga anak yang bersekolah menggunakan pengangkutan awam. Namun ia juga banyak bergantung banyak mana potongan tambang yang bakal dibuat.'

Pelajar politeknik, Sheila Ahmad Yani, 19 tahun, berkata:

'Sebagai pelajar, saya gembira tambang ini turun kerana penjimatan $10 bagi tambang amat bermakna kepada kami.'

Kali terakhir tambang dinaikkan secara purata empat sen pada Oktober lalu.

SBS Transit berkata pihaknya tidak memohon bagi kenaikan tambang pada 2003 ketika Sars melanda serta perang Iraq dan pada 2004 ketika ekonomi Singapura masih belum pulih sepenuhnya.

virgomal

Mon, Jan 26, 2009
The New Paper

Why taxi firms are not dropping surcharges

By Shree Ann Mathavan, with additional reporting by Eoin Ee, Tan Su Vien, Audrey Tan, Joanna Hor, Bernice Huang, Pearly Tan, Sing Keng Loon, Julian Lee and Geraldine Yeo.

WHEN the taxi meter flashed the $40 fare, advertising executive Miss XJ Tan, 26, could hardly believe her eyes.

While she normally takes the train, she took a cab from her home in Woodlands to her office in Suntec City recently as she had to attend an important meeting.

But no thanks to the 35 per cent taxi surcharge during peak hour travel, coupled with Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries and taxi booking fees, she had to fork out a good $10 more than expected for her taxi fare.

Shocked by fare

Recalled Miss Tan: 'I was shocked. $40 is just too much. From then on, I decided not to take taxis in the morning.

'Now even if I'm running late, I will still take the MRT.'

Miss Tan's experience resonates with many Singaporeans who have griped about the 35 per cent surcharge during peak-hour travel (7am to 9.30am on weekdays, and 5pm to 8pm from Mondays to Saturdays).

All taxi operators began implementing the surcharge from December 2007, along with an increased flag-down rate of $2.80 (up by 30 cents).

Taxi companies said at the time that the surcharge and the other upward revisions of the fare structure were due to a need to match the demand and supply for taxi services at different times of the day.

The increase also coincided with soaring fuel prices then.

A seeming decrease in the demand for taxis now is leaving commuters wondering why the surcharge is still necessary.

Fuel prices have also dipped, reducing operating costs.

At Orchard Road during evening peak hours, there are now often queues of empty cabs waiting for passengers.

Miss Melissa Ler, 29, an account manager, observed: 'Of course, business is bad for them because the surcharges make fares expensive.

'So during the downturn, people won't take cabs unless it's really necessary.'

Yesterday the Public Transport Council (PTC) announced that bus and train fares will be reduced this year in a bid to help commuters tide over the tough times.

Commuters like Miss Tan are also hoping for the taxi surcharge to be scrapped.

She said: 'Shouldn't taxi rides be cheaper as well since other rides are also cheaper?'

But major taxi operators contacted by The New Paper either said that there would be no changes for now, or declined comment.

This year's Budget, announced on Thursday, will ease the burden of taxi operators.

They will get a 30 per cent road tax rebate and a waiver of diesel tax for unused taxis. Operators have said they will pass on the cost savings to taxi drivers.

But for now the cost-savings will not flow on to commuters.

Despite the lower operational costs, taxi operators told The New Paper that there won't be any price revisions for now.

Trans-Cab general manager Jasmine Tan said: 'Fare revisions take time, we have to observe the situation and the market.'

No plans to reduce fare

Prime Taxis general manager Tan Soon Chye and a spokesman for SMRT Taxis also said that they were not looking into reducing fares.

But Mr Johnny Harjantho, group managing director of Smart Automobile, noted that price revisions may be inevitable if demand for taxis fall further.

He said: 'If no one takes taxis, operators will have to revise fares.'

But he added that there was 'no talk as yet' of revising fares.

ComfortDelgro spokesman Tammy Tan said the operator was closely monitoring the demand for taxi services.

Of the current peak-hour surcharge that consumers are unhappy about, she said: 'The 35 per cent surcharge was introduced to address the disparity in demand and supply during peak and off-peak periods.

'This has worked and the disparity has been greatly reduced.'

But while the supply of taxis on the road may have evened out, some cabbies feel that cheaper fares will improve their lot.

Mr Mustakim Amat, 67, a cabby of 23 years, complains of having to wait for a 'long time' at taxi queues with no passengers in sight.

He has seen a drop of 20 per cent in business since December last year.

He said: 'We just hope that the authorities can reduce the fare, so there will be more passengers for us.'

Some commuters feel fares should now be reduced because operating costs have fallen.

Miss Tan said: 'It doesn't make sense that they don't revise fares because things are cheaper now for them than before.'

She hopes taxi companies can be more flexible in their fare structures.

Said Miss Tan: 'It's encouraging that buses and trains are doing their part to ease the burden for consumers during the economic downturn.

'So I hope taxi operators can likewise reduce their fares.

Miss Ler agreed: 'With the cuts and lower fuel costs, I don't understand why they are not scrapping the surcharges.'

Changes in fare overtime

December 2007:

Taxi fares were overhauled in a move led first by ComfortDelGro, which was followed by the other companies. Changes included:

    * A 30-cents increase in flag-down rate to $2.80.

    * An increased city area surcharge from $1 to $3.

    * A 35 per cent taxi surcharge during peak hours (7am to 9.30am on weekdays and 5pm to 8pm Mondays to Saturdays)

    * Prime-time call bookings reduced from $4 to $3.50.

July 2008:

A 30-cent fuel surcharge was introduced but removed late last year after oil prices dropped.

sutera_abadi

kengkawan sekelian...
gua nak nyelit jap kat topik ni...
macam mana eh nak pegi Wisma Indah sebelah masjid kassim dari woodlands ehh....????
I mean naik public transport (except teksi)..
naik bas no. apa cepat???  or naik MRT lagi cepat ah ???

fatz

naik mrt lebih cepat sut....

dari mrt woodlands turun ke city hall, kendian tukar ke laluan timur...stop kat stesen kembangan

22 stesen jer...so lebih kurang 50 minit sampai la....

sutera_abadi

ok noted...
thanks fatz

Originally posted by fatz at 4-2-2009 12:38 AM
naik mrt lebih cepat sut....

dari mrt woodlands turun ke city hall, kendian tukar ke laluan timur...stop kat stesen kembangan

22 stesen jer...so lebih kurang 50 minit sampai la....

sutera_abadi

fatz serta kengkawan sekelian....
sut nak tanya sket lagi....
in case lah kan.... sut berhajat nak pegi wisma indah ni dengan kereta, eni one bleh advise tak kat mana nak park kete "pree" kat area situ and in case takde parking pree... kena park kat wisma indah tu... berapa $$ dorang charge per day ehh???

thanks a million to anyone yg answer my question....

fatz

kat wisma indah tu sendiri ada parking lot, kalau penuh, sut pegi ke hotel 81 (paling dekat)
kalau penuh jugak, sut kena amik kanan masuk lor mydin atau lor marzuki, keluar sims ave east, masuk ke jln masjid dan try tengok carpark di kembangan plasa....

unfortunately kat area situ takder parking free la sut...semua hourly rated, tapi fatz tak tau berapa harga sejam......

sutera_abadi

ok fatz...
jazakallahukhairan kasiran afwan....

Originally posted by fatz at 5-2-2009 06:44 PM
kat wisma indah tu sendiri ada parking lot, kalau penuh, sut pegi ke hotel 81 (paling dekat)
kalau penuh jugak, sut kena amik kanan masuk lor mydin atau lor marzuki, keluar sims ave east, masuk  ...

fatzcomel

SMRT Taxis to pass S$306 in road tax rebate savings to cabbies
By Lau Joon-Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 05 February 2009 1906 hrs



SINGAPORE : SMRT cabbies will be receiving a one-time cash payout from their fleet operator five months before the government's road tax rebate kicks in.

SMRT Taxis, which operates over 3,000 taxis in Singapore, said the full rebate of S$306 per hirer will be credited directly into their bank accounts on February 28.

Lo Chee Wen, vice president of SMRT Taxis, said: "Even as the company receives the road tax rebates over a 12-month period starting July 2009, we want to give our hirers the full savings in a one-time payment much earlier to help them cope financially."

SMRT Taxi said it will also work to improve the income opportunities for its cabbies by liaising with retail outlets, furniture malls and property owners of tourist attractions, and corporate clients to provide tailored taxi services.

Other measures already in place for its cabbies include competitive taxi rental packages starting from S$65 per day, cash bonuses, rent-free days, diesel subsidies and rebates amounting to more than S$10 million each year.

Last month, SMRT said it would not apply to increase fares this year.

It has also pledged to donate S$300,000 to assist needy commuters with their transport needs. - CNA /ls

fatz

Singapura : 13 Februari 2009        
  
PARLIMEN

PELAN INDUK PENGANGKUTAN DARAT

Antara yang sudah dilaksana sejauh ini

1. Peningkatan Perkhidmatan Bas:

# Jarak waktu antara bas ulang-alik kini 10 minit atau lebih cepat

# Lebih 100 perjalanan bas ditambah sewaktu masa sibuk pagi dan petang

# Lorong bas biasa telah ditambah daripada 120 km kepada 155 km. Lorong bas sepanjang hari ditambah daripada 7.6 km kepada 23 km

# Khidmat bas premium ditambah daripada 10 kepada lebih 70

2. Memperbaiki Maklumat Pengangkutan Awam:

# Laman Perancang Perjalanan Pengangkutan Awam yang dilancarkan Julai 2008 menerima 42,000 kunjungan sebulan.

# Portal Pengangkutan Awam yang dilancarkan pada Oktober 2008 menerima 116,000 kunjungan sebulan.

# Program perintis enam bulan sistem SMS maklumat ketibaan bas di 166 perhentian bas menerima 37,000 permintaan sebulan

3. Menambah Keupayaan Rangkaian Kereta Api:

# 900 perjalanan kereta api telah ditambah seminggu (naik 12 peratus)

# Piawaian Prestasi Operasi telah disemak - keupayaan maksimum diturunkan kepada 1,600 dan jarak antara kereta api dikurangkan

# Tender bagi 22 kereta api baru bagi laluan Utara-Selatan, Timur-Barat dan peningkatan stesen MRT Jurong East

4. Sistem Tambang Bersepadu:

# Fasa pertama dilancarkan pada 1 Oktober 2008. Rebat pertukaran naik daripada 25 sen kepada 40 sen

# Tambang bas dan kereta api tetap termampu

# Keluarga berpendapatan rendah menerima bantuan baucar pengangkutan awam bernilai $5.2 juta

# Syarikat-syarikat pengangkutan awam tidak akan memohon menaikkan harga tambang tahun ini

5. Peningkatan ERP:

# Kelajuan kenderaan di kawasan bandar bertambah baik

# Memandangkan lalu lintas lancar, empat gantri baru tidak diaktifkan

6. Memenuhi Pelbagai Keperluan:

# Semua stesen MRT kini bebas adangan

# Program peningkatan kereta api SMRT telah selesai

# 10 peratus bas kini mesra orang berkerusi roda. Ia akan mencapai 20 peratus menjelang akhir tahun ini