The days of being outbid for a taxi during rush hour are over, thank you very much.
The new Third-Party Taxi Booking Service Providers Act announced by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in Parliament on Monday is taking the misery — or the fun, depending on which side of the coin you're looking at — out of grabbing those elusive taxi rides in the city.
Taxi operators who use third-party taxi booking apps like GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi now have to abide by these new rules:
First, they will not require passengers to indicate their destination — this is to avoid drivers from cherry-picking passengers.
Second, bidding and pre-trip tipping for taxi services will also not be allowed — but passengers are free to leave a dollar or two if they are happy with the driver's service.
Finally, operators are not allowed to send chauffeured or private limousine services, which cost more than a taxi ride, unless the passenger specifically asks for it.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The days of being outbid for a taxi during rush hour are over, thank you very much.
The new Third-Party Taxi Booking Service Providers Act announced by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in Parliament on Monday is taking the misery — or the fun, depending on which side of the coin you're looking at — out of grabbing those elusive taxi rides in the city.
Taxi operators who use third-party taxi booking apps like GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi now have to abide by these new rules:
First, they will not require passengers to indicate their destination — this is to avoid drivers from cherry-picking passengers.
Second, bidding and pre-trip tipping for taxi services will also not be allowed — but passengers are free to leave a dollar or two if they are happy with the driver's service.
Finally, operators are not allowed to send chauffeured or private limousine services, which cost more than a taxi ride, unless the passenger specifically asks for it.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons