Can LTA Wake Up Their Idea?

It's been almost three months since LTA had made adjustments to the Taxi CBD rule. In summary, the current rule is such that taxis are not allowed to pick up and alight passengers on the main roads in the CBD area. Also, taxis are not allowed to pick up and alight passengers on side roads if public buses are plying. This rule is in effect from Mondays to Saturdays, 7am to 10pm. Originally, the rule stipulated in the CBD area, passengers can only be picked up and alighted at taxi stands. It caused a huge outcry and fierce furore that LTA had no choice but to back down and made a slight concession. In the end, I believe it only alleviated the problem by a little but it is still not solving the crux of the problem. The rule should not have been implemented in the first place.

Why is the rule not effective on Sundays? You mean statistically, taxi drivers are more careful on Sundays? I'm not advocating extending the rule to Sunday but just want to illustrate the absurdness of the rules. The implementation just boggles the mind.

The new rules are so confusing as some cab drivers are not sure which road is considered a main road. I was once driven to a back alley to be alighted!

If you take taxis as frequently like me and needed to travel to the CBD area, you'll notice that the new rule still greatly reduces the conveniences supposedly to be brought about by the taxi service. For example, if you need to take a cab at Club Street after your business meeting, depending on your luck, it is quite unlikely that you'll be able to flag down a cab at Club Street itself as not many cabs will ply it. The better option would be to walk out of Club Street to the main road where you'll see a lot more cabs with no passengers. But under the current ruling, the cabs are not allowed to stop even if you flag, you are only allowed to get a cab at a taxi stand. Then the next question arises, where is the nearest taxi stand? Even though I'm a Singaporean, I don't know where all the taxi stands are. I can only head towards a general direction where I think a tax stand is. And fortunately, during my walk, I found a taxi stand. After 20 minutes wait with no taxi stopping, I realised not all taxi stands are built the same. Because the taxi stand is in a private driveway of the commercial building and it is not noticeable so the taxi will not drive in. I kept seeing empty taxis passing by on the main road. I can't just walk out of the taxi stand to the main road and flag one down even though I see dozens of empty cabs. The taxis wouldn't dare to stop because if they were caught flouting the rule, they will be fined $100 and 3 demerit points.

Even if LTA were to build more taxi stands, but not all taxi stands will attract the cabs. The cabs usually will just queue up at the more popular locations like Ngee Ann City, Paragon etc. Building more taxi stands will still not solve the problem.

The new rules were implemented as LTA cited that there were an increased of accidents involving taxis. In the first place, what is the percentage of these accidents that were caused (not just involve) by taxis. Secondly, if most accidents were caused by taxis, was it restricted to a few errant drivers. Thirdly, did the accidents happen mostly in the CBD area? If not, why was the ruling restricted to just the CBD area? If it was to improve safety, shouldn't it be implemented throughout the whole of Singapore? I'm not supporting the implementation at all but trying to understand the logic of the implementation.

Finally, why was there a blanket ruling to punish ALL taxi drivers and passengers when the main crux of the problem lies with a small group of bad and errant drivers? These new rulings affect not just the taxi drivers but all passengers as well. This would also affect the tourists and foreigners on business trips here. Paris is the only other city that has similar rules. But we are not Paris. These new rules will definitely affect the impression and experience of the tourists who visit here. They would definitely find these rules draconian and illogical. How does LTA expect the tourists after shopping in places like Chinatown, for example, to carry their bags of souvenirs to walk to the "nearest" taxi stand when we locals don't even where they are located.

With the upcoming Singapore F1 night race and the impending completion of two casinos, sorry, I mean integrated resorts, what kind of impression are we gonna leave the tourists. They will be trying to flag down the empty cabs on the main roads and wondering why our taxi service is so lousy as all of them don't stop.

What happens during a heavy downpour and you are in the city area and the building you are at, does not have a taxi stand? You can forget about trying to make a taxi booking. Likely the customer service will advice you to wait for your call-booking taxi at the nearest taxi stand! Even if you've paid the extra $2.50 for call-booking a cab, the cab still can't pick you up from where you are just because you are in the CBD area and the LTA rules.

I can imagine next year's Lonely Planet edition on Singapore, "Don't bother flagging down the cabs, they won't stop!" :p

By implementing the new rules, LTA in one fell swoop, all taxi drivers, passengers and tourists are inconvenienced and punished. Isn't it obvious then the new rules are draconian?

If suddenly, the government sees a dip in tourists arrival number, it'll be too late already. How do you gain back the goodwill that you lost? Is the LTA even aware that their rules may affect the tourism sector of Singapore, one of the backbone of Singapore economy? Really, who would enjoy shopping in Singapore with this ridiculous new rules.

If LTA can utilise the traffice police to book the taxi drivers who flout the CBD taxi rule, wouldn't it be more effective and logical to utilise the traffic police to book the errant taxi drivers who drive dangerously instead? Isn't this way simpler and more logical solution to reduce the supposedly high number of accidents involving taxis?

Can LTA wake up their idea? They have made taking a cab in Singapore so difficult and troublesome. This again adds to another reason why I'm considering getting a car instead.