TAXI runs over man lying in the middle of the road

Talking about occupational hazard. It applies to train operator on MRT trains, bus drivers and Taxi drivers.  What will happened to you when a person intends to use your vehicle for attempting suicide?

MRT train operator will get off clean in the eyes of the law because there are no way for the train to stops in time even he sees the person jumping onto the track.

For bus drivers and Taxi drivers, it all depends on what is the speed you were travelling, visibility on the road and whether you can react in time.

In this case, it is up to the investigator or traffic police to decide whether it is an negligent act.

Punching Cabby

It is an old news happened in April 2014. It just highlighted some of the hazards a cabby have to endure working in this trade.

When you see a lone man standing on the street after midnight. You have to make a quick decision on the spot, do I pick him up? Can he afford to pay? Is he drunk? Will he soil your vehicle by vomiting? Especially a drunk buff man.

LTA says you have have to pick any passenger up if you do not have the busy sign up, Will LTA. protects you or come to your rescue when he rough you up? Well the police will. Will LTA helps you to collect the fare if he runs away?

I picked up a "white man" a Caucasian over the weekend at Orchard road after mid-night. He wants to go to the Traders hotel. He is so drunk he falls asleep the moment he steps in. I wander how he stands up beside the road flagging. During the short journey, he keeps on gagging in his sleep, so afraid he might throw up along the way.

Upon arriving at the hotel, he steps out of the Taxi, said a thank you under his breath then walks into the hotel Lobby. Should I chase after him for the miserable $7 fare? So who is going to pay for his fare? I drove off quietly into the night with this thought.

Singapore's population make up

In a city state like Singapore where 40% of the population is non-resident. Meaning they will be going back to their country one day. It is mind boggling when I thinking of the day when all of them disappear together with all the permanent resident.

1. Streets, shopping mall will be empty of half the people. 
2. You will have a place to sit on the morning train going to work. 
3. Offices and workplace, company will be shut down because of not sufficient workers. 
4. Home owners not able to rent out their units.
5. Taxi drivers we will be poorer off because about half of my clients are make up of foreigners.

Is there a perfect solution to this? I do not think so, we all just have to managed it, managed people's expectations. We can move out of Singapore to work in another country, follow their example.

credit cards payment for TAXI ride (today's news)

This is a case of capitalism greed of the taxi companies. No competition, no improvement.

If the case is true of running a NETS payment / credit card payment terminals are so high a 10% surcharge has to be paid by the consumer. Why Uber and Easy Taxi is able to do it? Another way of looking at this, is the business model of paying by terminals rather than smart phone outdated?

Driving Taxi on 13 Sept 2014

I started off around 1530 hours. Took a family to 211 Bedok road temple for the parent's death anniversary. The two teenage daughter and son is with them. They looks to me a like a happy family going out for a picnic.  They dot empathize with Taxi driver's long hours on the road after they asked me the hours I need to drive for a living. They have moved to Woodlands about 14 years ago. That is the way to start the day, :)

Went on to the airport terminal 2, have a quick coffee and toast, pick and go. This person going to Woodlands. It is after 5 pm, so the airport surcharge is plus $5 fare.The person is a FT working for Vodafone, coming back from a conference in Philippine.

Woodlands MRT pick up 3 India FT, going to Jalan Kayu to send their friend off going back to India. They are friendly, and asking about difference in fare price amount Taxis. In the end I found out he had the luck of boarding one of this Chrysler Black Taxi, the fare difference is $12 comparing to a normal Taxi.

Jalan Kayu pick up another Philippine FT girl going to Mohd Sultan road. She dress to kill with a perfume that lingers on in the Taxi long after.

Long Queue at Clark Quay Taxi rank (all green lanterns). Went to Queue at Parkmall taxi stand, waited for 5 minutes where a Malay Family board the Taxi after dinner at the Mongolian BBQ Restaurant. They are going to Woodlands street 13 @ marsiling.

After that is a blurrr...... Woodlands to Tampines, Tampines to Bedok, Bedok to Tampines etc. I am really not familiar with that area. In the future, need to read up the map to get myself familiar with that area. Luckily those passengers are understanding.

In the end, I go up to TPE, arriving at airport T2 to try my luck. Good, pick and go. Person no luggage, He is going to Geylang Lorong 18. Not sure why, but most of my passenger, 7 out of 10 will be going to Lorong 18.

Along Geylang towards city, pickup another FT philippine girl, going to Luck Plaza. Then from Lucky Plaza Taxi rank to Eunos Crescent. Had my dinner at Eunos MRT.

Along Eunos pick up a friendly old lady going to Joo Chiat Place. She thank me and very surprise I can give her a big grin smile when she board the taxi. She flatter me by saying I must have a sunny personality, my wife must be luck to have me.

After which I do not remember the rest of the trips except the last trip after midnight. Took a gentleman home from Centre Point to Anderson road off Thomson road. He had a bad night out because of his girl friend. :)

Total collection is about $270. After rental $60 and petrol $37. Take home $173. Not bad for 12 hours of work. Note, only good takings on Saturday.

Rumors of Taxi fare hike 2014 September

After reading the above article from MyPaper. I would said, it is about time for a fare changes. Almost every worker is getting bonus, salary increment yearly, why not taxi drivers? 

When will the market force change the fare structure? When there are lots of Taxis sitting in the bay of those taxi industry operators without sufficient hirer.

I like the part, "who complains when off peak there are no passengers?" This is especially true if the industry is going to increase the number of Taxi on the road again.  

Taxi industry still cannot match the demand of peak hours as they all originate from particular area (eg. CBD). 

My suggestions:

1. Do Away with ERP charges for Taxi, it will eliminate the barrier for Taxi moving into C.B.D. without a passenger.
2. Drastically increase the CBD peak hour surcharge to $6-$10. Taxi will all be rushing into the CBD to pick up customer. This will ensure only those whole really needs a Taxi will use one during peak hours. Come to think of it, is this not the principle of ERP? If you want to use transport over congested area during peak hours, you pay with your arm and leg. :-)
3. Mobile Apps /MDT for Taxi drivers to inform them where are the passengers during peak and off peak period. Example, number of passenger queuing in  certain taxi stand or MRT stations.

15 hours on the road

 What do you need to be on the road driving taxi 15 hours? What will you gain in the end?

1. You need to have a Taxi at your disposal. Sign up as a driver at one of the 4 Taxi company is a start.
2. You need cash float for changes from passengers (see pic).
3. You need a vocational driver License.
4. You need sufficient sleep (or you can catch up on your sleep in-between journeys).
5. You need a cash card to pay for ERPs.
6. You need a bottle of water, red bull and some sweets to suck on when bored.
7. You need a Fuel discount card. 20% for diesel, 16% for petrol.
8. You need a street directory or GPS.

What do you gain at the end of the 15 hours'of driving? (see below picture)

1. A good night of sleep because you will be so tired, you fall asleep the moment your head touch the pillow.
2. $450 cash in total collection. Minus rental and fuel. Income is about $300.
3. Satisfaction for a job well done. You bring bread home for the family.

If you can do this for 30 days straight, potentially you could earned $300 x 30 = $9000. But, sadly, it is not possible for me, I will need to sleep through the next day to recover from the ordeal.

So my income is around $2500 -$3000 for 30 days of driving. (6 Sept 2014)

Different Types of Taxi drivers

The classifications below are my 2 cents of worth of generlising people for the sake of entertaining my readers. I apologies if they have offended anyone.


The road Sweeper cum rubbish truck

Usually they are the older generation who drive a crown or yellow top Taxi. They will stick to the hour as a shift Taxi driver who knows where are the customers on the road. They do not mind picking up customer with smelly fishy bags from wet markets. Or anyone going anywhere, due to their limited of English or being the older generation. Usually they will not visit the CBD or Hotels in Orchard where AngMos are abundant.


The Interviewer

There are times when passenger going to Tuas/ Jurong Island / CCK will ask me to wind down the windows rather than jumping on the taxi, asking whether I will bring them to those places. What the hack, I will ask them to jump on.

"Do onto others what you want them to do unto you" my motto

These are the passengers that has been rejected by "The interviewer" Taxi drivers. Normally they will only want to go to the CBD/airport in the evening. Without regards or fairness to the next taxi driver behind them in the queue, they will pick their passenger then leave the crumps to the one behind.

I have no respect for such Taxi drivers.


Airport players

They will starts off the shift from the airport.  Even the passenger ends the trip in the west side Jurong. They will drive all the way to the airport to start again.

It is easier to find a fare in the airport, down side is the traffic jams on PIE back to the airport (staring point) and certain periods (2300-0100) hours midnight, long queue at the airport. Plus you need to know when the planes are landing and which terminals.

Another danger is customer going to the east side only (Simei, Pasir Ris or tampaines). What do you do?


C.B.D. players

Due to the fact after 5 pm CBD charges of $3 are applicable within the CBD area. These are a different breed of interviewer. They only want to take passenger who ends their trip within the CBD. One driver have boasted he can make 10 trips all within the CBD on night.

You will like them if you are going from Marina to China town, similarly Robinson road to Orchard road etc. You will be able to jump the taxi rank queue.


Mid Night Drivers

Generally they starts after 9 pm in the evening till next morning. They take business from Clark Quay area, Geylang, airport or in another word, all the night spots. Due to the shift working hour constraint, generally they paid a lesser rent between 30-50 dollars.

They will pick up passenger from CBD/airport to their heartland town. Then speed all the way back to the city for another fare.


Talkative drivers

The moment you steps into the taxi, they started talking, complaining about everything in life. Because of talking, they lost concentration on the road. Generally you can find them driving on the 2 lane on the highway. The have animated hand movement to enforce they point when chatting with passengers.

The opposite of this are those driver who will not even acknowledge your request of destination. They will just drive. Most of the time they are the seasoned drivers.

The Taxi I am driving on the weekend. It is a money making machine. :)

Driving Taxi full time again?

I am seriously considering going back to Taxi driving as a full time hirer or relief.

No one owes me a living, you reap what you have sowed. That has been my motto for my working life. When the going is tough, meaning long hours and tough job. It is OK as long as your boss understand and appreciates your effort and sacrifice. 

Driving Taxi full time OMO

Even I have experience of doing 6 months of O.M.O. and 6 months with relief drivers. There is a lot of consideration going on in my mind.

Considerations

1. First and foremost is my HDB housing loan, it is $630 dollars every month until age 70. Working as a self employed. One would have to top up his CPF using cash.
2. Second is household expenses. Must be able to earn enough to service insurance, electricity, water bill, food on the table. Lucky my wife is working as a childcare teacher. That helps a lot.
3. Ability to have dinner out with family and holiday once a year.
4. Family transportation, having a car to buy groceries and send children to school.

Answers

1. I will have to top up CPF account with cash until I reached 55. When at 55, the OA (ordinary account) and SA (special account) will merged into a RA (Retirement account) account. I will have enough to pay up the house fully. Also one of my insurance will matured when I reach 55.
2. A bit tight, have to tighten the belt and watch out for expense and purchase of major items. Sofa, washing machines and fridges all that will have to using savings if they breaks.
3. Dinner out once a month at coffee shop and holiday to Malaysia. :)
4. Well, will have to sell off the family car. Using Taxi as personal transport is a last resort, because taxi is suppose to be a money making machine every hour in your hand. Your opportunity cost of using TAXI as a personal transport is you blow off $25 of average income every hour.

note:   average taxi driver income working 26-30 days is around $2.5k to $3k.

Welcome to Sembawang Town - from a Taxi Uncle

Today I helped a friend to cover some of her taxi rentals as she was sick for the whole day. I started off late around 7.45pm because I got to go home to pick up my TDVL. The plan is to end driving before 12 midnight.

I pick up my last customer at Woodlands MRT Taxi stand just before 10pm. Husband, wife and a young daughter.

The husband smiles at me and say "Uncle,"Admiralty Link.".  I paused for a while, " there is an Admiralty MRT in Woodlands, no admiralty link." , I said. "You are going to Sembawang Town?" when it dawns on me where he wants to go. "Yes, near where the God of wealth temple is located", he replied.

The family has just moved in about one week ago, they bought a 12 years old HDB unit from the resale market.

On the way we started off the best conversation for the whole night. About good food joint around Sembawang /Woodlands area.

The food joint List

1.   White mee hoon shop opposite sembawang Shopping center.
2.   Chong Pang hawker food center.
3.   Turtle soup shop beside opposite Sembawang Shopping center.
4.   Coffee shop for chilli crab along Sembawang road just before turning into Sembawang Park.
5.   The Thail Food restaurant beside KFC at Chong Pang.

This night I let him off the Taxi with a smile on my face. Talking and thinking about food always bring back fond memories I had with families and friends.

Then I cruise around from 10 pm till 11pm. Long queue at Woodlands MRT taxi stand, more then 10 taxis waiting in the queue.

No customer at all until I call it a night around 11pm. Should have gone to the zoo at around 10 pm. Most of the time I will be able to pick up a customer going to CBD hotel. Then another fare out of the town CBD. But not tonight, I made a major trip planning mistake.

All in for 3 hours of work. I pocketed $30 and pay $30 for the hirer for the use of Taxi plus fuel.

The first Taxi I drove with Premier Taxi.