Singapore’s largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro will raise flag-down fares by 50 cents for its regular taxis, as well as distance and time-based charges by one cent, from 6am on Dec 13.
This is to help drivers defray higher operating costs due to rising fuel prices, high inflation and the upcoming goods and services tax hike from 8 per cent to 9 per cent starting on Jan 1, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
As of October, ComfortDelGro ran a fleet of 8,841 Comfort and CityCab taxis, or about 64 per cent of the market, based on figures from the Land Transport Authority.
Another taxi operator, Prime Taxi, told The Straits Times it also plans to raise its fares.
After the adjustments, the starting fare of a ComfortDelGro Hyundai i40 taxi will increase from $3.90 to $4.40, while that for a Toyota Prius and a Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid taxi will climb from $4.10 to $4.60.
Flag-down fares for Hyundai Ioniq, Hyundai Kona, Toyota Sienta Hybrid and BYD e6 taxis will increase from $4.30 to $4.80.
Mr Tommy Tan, chief executive of ComfortDelGro’s taxi business, said the increase ensures that its drivers receive fair earnings with the rising cost of operations.
“For the past few years, our cabbies’ earnings had been impacted first by the pandemic, and then by higher operating expenses due to an increase in fuel prices and high inflation,” he said.
The increase in ComfortDelGro’s starting fares does not apply to limousine taxis, such as MaxiCab and Mercedes-Benz taxis. Flag-down fares for the limousine fleet will remain at $4.80, after an increase from $4.10 in November.
The Straits Times
