SINGAPORE: An online user took to social media on Monday (March 10) to ask Singaporeans for their take on taxi etiquette in the country. In her post, she addressed a tip she has been given to avoid disputes with drivers. “I’ve been told that, in order to avoid disputes, to tell the taxi driver which route you would want to go up front,” she shared.
However, she contrasted this with her recent experiences, where drivers appeared offended when she mentioned her preferred route. “Lately, I’ve had a couple of rides where the driver was visibly offended by this. One said he would follow the GPS route. The other said he knew a better way (I was not going to argue with him that I’ve been going by my particular route for 15 years), but he would grudgingly go my way (sounding as though I was dumb). So how (do I deal with people) like that? (Should you say or not say) which route you want to take when you take a taxi? By the way, my route is the established GPS route.”
Many Singaporeans responded to the writer’s concern, with a handful arguing that if the taxi is metered, it’s okay to ask the driver to take your preferred route…but if it’s a fixed fare, then things are different. “If you’re paying by meter, it is fair to ask the driver to take the route you want to avoid any sort of disputes when paying. If you are paying a fixed fare, then just sit back and relax. If you are in a rush, tell the driver.”
“You can ‘tell’ the taxi driver your route only when you are paying by meter,” said another. “For fixed-priced taxis, you cannot ‘tell’ them how to go. You can only request. Go check the FAQ on the taxi company’s website.”
Another argued, “This is the reason why metered fate taxis are losing out to ride services. Ride service trips cost the same–an agreed-upon price regardless of how long or how far it takes, so it’s in the driver’s best interest to get you to your destination as quickly and fuel- efficiently as possible. It’s the exact opposite of the metered service model.”
See also: Can 4S drivers earn $40-$50 per hour? Singapore drivers share their insights
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