It is official. Come next monday 17-Dec-2007, ComfortDelgro is giving a pre-Christmas surprise to everyone. Fare is up in every category, except a token decrease of $0.50 for prime time booking fee. Do note that ComfortDelgro is the largest taxi operator with about 15,000 taxi, comprising of the brands Comfort, CityCab and Yellow-Top.
Basic Fare
| Current | New | Comment | |
| Flag Down | $2.50 for 1st km | $2.80 for 1st km | Increase by $0.30 (12%) |
| 1km to 10km | $0.10 for every 210m or less | $0.20 for every 385m or less | Increase by 9.3%, without factoring larger unit block.* |
| Above 10km | $0.10 for every 175m or less | $0.20 for every 330m or less | Increase by 6%, without factoring larger unit block.* |
| Waiting time | $0.10 for every 25sec or less | $0.20 for every 45sec or less | Increase by 11%, without factoring larger unit block.* |
*Remember all the comparison you will make among different mobile phone plans? You get charged by per minute block for 1st min, then 6 second block for Singtel and MobileOne or by per second block for Starhub. Now, ComfortDelgo is increasing the unit block to larger unit block.
Peak Period Premium
| Current | New | |
| Peak Period Premium Mon-Fri, 7:00am-9:30am Mon-Sat, 5:00pm-8:00pm (not applicable on Public Holidays) |
$2 flat rate | 35% of metered fare |
Peak Period Effective Increase
| Comment | |
| Peak Period effective increase to Flag Down | Increase by 51% (35% on top of 12% increase) |
| Peak Period effective increase to 1km to 10km | Increase by 47% (35% on top of 9.3% increase) |
| Peak Period effective increase to Above 10km | Increase by 43% (35% on top of 6% increase) |
| Peak Period effective increase to Waiting time | Increase by 50% (35% on top of 11% increase) |
City Area Surcharge
| Current | New | Comment | |
| City Area Surcharge | $1 flat rate | $3 flat rate | Increase price by 200% |
| Mon-Thu, 5pm-8pm | Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight | Increase Mon-Thu duration by 133% | |
| Fri & Sat, 5pm-11.30pm | Increase Fri & Sat duration by 7.7% |
Midnight Charge
| Current | New | Comment | |
| Late Night Surcharge | 11:30pm-11:44pm 10% | Midnight-05:59% 50% of metered fare | 11:30pm-11:44pm, Charge is waived |
| 11:45pm-11:59pm 20% | 11:45pm-11:59pm, Charge is waived | ||
| 12:00am-12:59pm 35% | 12:00am-12:59pm, Increase price by 42.8% | ||
| 01:00am-05:59am 50% | 01:00am-05:59am, Remains the same |
Booking Fee
| Current | New | Comment | |
| Prime Time Mon-Fri 7:00am-930am 5:00pm-11:00pm |
$4 flat rate | $3.50 flat rate | Decrease by $0.50 |
| Non-Prime Time All other times including Sat, Sun & Public Holiday |
$2.50 | $2.50 | Remains the same |
A rough guide
Based on the timing you board the taxi,
For non-peak period, taxi fare increase around 10%.
For peak-period, taxi fare increase around 50%.
For 12 midnight to 1am, taxi fare an increase of around 42.8%.
Based on the area you board the taxi,
City Area surcharge is increased, by 200% from $1 to $3, and the duration is extended.
Side track
Quoting from Straits Times
“The group urged other taxi companies to follow ComfortDelgro’s lead and also adjust their fares ‘as soon as possible’. “
Is it legal to urge other groups to raise price? Would it fall into price-fixing?
By the way, it was only last year that they increased their taxi fare. Click here to read the last year press release on the fare increment.
The press release for this new fare increment is available here.
[...] – The boy who knew too much: The Great ComfortDelGro Taxi Rip-off – Alice in Wonderland: ComfortDelgro taxi fares rise up to 49% – All and Sundry Singapore: Taxi Fare Hike – Attempting to solve a problem but creates another? – [...]
And that is why those who can afford it still buy cars despite ERP and COE.
Public transport during peak hours is akin to being squashed skin to skin with your favourite foreign talent.
Now taking taxis into/out of CBD just skyrocketed.
This approach affects Comfort-Delgro’s bottom line little since they rent out their taxis at a fixed rental. It is the taxi drivers who will live/die by this decision.
Now that more people are going to buy cars given the high cost of taxies, the roads will be clogged so we need to Up COE, Up Road Tax, Up ERP, Up parking, Up Up Up..well to those 66.6% is up yours..you deserve it
Panzergrenadier said “It is the taxi drivers who will live/die by this decision.”
I suspect it may be die by the decision…
From speaking to numerous cab drivers, my feeling is that they are generally not in favour of the fee hike and they rather prefer a cut in rental rates…
The decision to hike fees is just an excuse for the cab operators to continue to sustain their high rental rates…
Cabbies are charged a minimum of S$90 a day to rent a ‘normal’ Toyota and that works out to be S$2,700 per month or S$32,400 per year
The bigger problem now is they have forced a change in the way people are commuting to work. Singaporean are looking at other cheaper means to get to work.
Now, the situation hasn’t improved. If they ever revert to the old charges… they have already alter the traveling behavior of the people and it may be difficult to bring back the crowd.
Let’s not forget the fact that people are starting to buy cars becuase of this…