The first day of an extra S$3 in surcharge for taxi rides from Changi Airport officially kicked in on Friday (May 20).
However, this amount is still not enough to cover petrol costs and there were long queues to pick up passengers, said taxi drivers.
Taxi trips from the airport will cost an extra S$8 from 5 pm to 11:59 pm daily and an additional S$6 at any other period, an increase from the usual S$5 surcharge on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 5 pm to 11:59 pm and S$3 at all other times.
It was reported that the increased surcharge in place until June 30 is not sufficient enough to cover costs, according to taxi drivers.
“The $6 surcharge is not enough… unless I want to rest, then I can come here and queue,” said Mr Chua Ee Lye, a taxi driver for 36 years, to The Straits Times.
He noted that he could earn more picking up passengers elsewhere.
Another taxi driver, Mr Chan Chee Hung, said, “It’s just an extra S$3 only.” He added it would cost more in petrol to drive to the airport without a fare.
The waiting period for passengers is also an issue highlighted by drivers.
The line of passengers from a flight that just landed on Friday quickly dissipated, leaving behind a queue of waiting taxis, reported ST.
Netizens responded to the news, agreeing that the surcharge does not benefit both passengers and taxi drivers.
“I would rather take one or two MRT stops and find a cab there rather than pay that S$3 if I really needed a cab,” said Facebook user Kian Ng in a comment with over 65 likes.
“I already said it’s not doing drivers any good and worse for passengers. It’s pushing away passengers,” said Facebook user Andre Koh.
“May get more taxis going in initially, but most will not go in anymore as the long queue is not doing justice to what drivers are wasting, time,” he said, noting that passenger traffic is not the same as pre-Covid-19 levels.
“So the truth is out – the decision to start the surcharge wasn’t done in consultation with the cab drivers or the customers? I.e., it wasn’t actually a real solution based on real facts,” said Facebook user Dare Chia.
Another netizen said a price hike “was not the solution to everything.”/TISG
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