PAP MP chosen as CEO of Premier and Strides Taxis as both companies merge to become second-largest taxi operator in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Premier Taxis and Strides Taxis announced today (13 Apr) that ruling party politician Ang Wei Neng has been selected as CEO (designate), as it revealed that both companies would be merged to create Singapore’s second-largest taxi operator.

As part of the merger, a new joint venture company, Strides Premier Pte Ltd, will be formed to hold the merged business. Strides Holdings, wholly owned by SMRT, will own the majority stake in the new entity, while Premier Corporation Pte Ltd and BS Investors Pte Ltd will jointly hold the remaining stake.

Strides and Premier promised in their joint statement that they would work closely with the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU) to “engage existing drivers and staff of all the entities involved in the merger.” Assuring that the merger will not affect existing rental agreements with drivers, both parties said they would arrange engagement sessions with their staff.

Mr Ang said, “Strides is always looking to provide safe, efficient and seamless transport services to Singaporeans. This merger is a significant milestone to help drive greater efficiency and better services for both our vehicle hirers as well as end users of Taxis and PHCs.”

He added, “As Strides Premier, we will continue to introduce innovative and flexible solutions to further enhance the overall end user experience in Singapore’s point-to-point industry.”

Mr Ang started his career in the Singapore Police Force and held managerial roles at a few private sector firms before he joined SBS Transit in 2004. He held various positions in the organisation, including General Manager of District Operations, before rising to Head of Bus Operations and Senior Vice President.

He was selected as a People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate before the 2011 General Election. He was fielded as part of heavyweight Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s team for Jurong GRC in both the 2011 and 2015 elections.

On 1 May 2017, Mr Ang was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Taxi Business in ComfortDelGro – a role he occupied for about five years. On 1 April 2022, he was appointed to run SMRT’s taxi business, Strides Mobility.

During the 2020 general election, Mr Ang was placed in the five-member PAP team that won West Coast GRC with a narrow 51.68 per cent vote, securing his third term in Parliament.

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