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HDT Singapore Taxi second cab company equipped to respond to cardiac arrests source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hdt-singapore-taxi-second-cab-company-equipped-to-respond-to-cardiac-arrests-and-fire SINGAPORE - HDT Singapore Taxi has become the second cab company to be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) that can be used in emergencies like cardiac arrests. Sponsorship from the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) has allowed the firm to fit 50 of its electric-powered taxis with the portable device, which can send an electric shock to the heart to revive it during a cardiac arrest. The cabs are also equipped with fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Cabbies driving these taxis have been trained in life-saving skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED procedures, basic first aid and firefighting. The HDT Singapore Taxi - Singapore Heart Foundation AED-on-Wheels programme was launched on Monday (Nov 18) at Kampung Admiralty. The programme itself started in November 2015, when 100 SMRT taxis were equipped with AEDs. Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs, said the move increases the pool of community first responders who would be "called upon to render assistance to others during emergencies". He cited the SMRT take-up of the initiative, adding: "In the event of a cardiac arrest emergency, these SMRT taxi drivers can help to deliver the AED to the scene quickly, administer the AED or perform CPR. This improves the chances of survival for the victim." The programme aims to buy time for those who suffer a heart attack, before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers show up. Participating cabbies will be alerted by the SCDF myResponder app to a cardiac arrest incident within a 1.5km radius of their taxi location. SMRT taxi drivers had arrived on scene to assist in 149 cardiac arrest cases as at September this year. HDT's senior manager of operations, Mr Leslie Ng, said if a taxi has a passenger on board when an alert comes in, the driver will state that he is diverting to the incident. Singapore Heart Foundation chairman Tan Huay Cheem said at the launch that there are around 1,800 cardiac arrest cases a year with 60 per cent involving mainly the elderly at home but that number may increase over time. He said: "Heart attack is the main cause of cardiac arrest and an aging population naturally brings about a higher number of such incidents. So by making the AED available and accessible in all channels, we hope that every life can be saved." HDT was set up here in 2016, and is Singapore's seventh taxi operator. It has around 120 drivers, all of whom have completed over 80 hours of training such as the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme and courses for handling children and passengers with special needs. Singapore's largest taxi operator is ComfortDelGro, which operates about 11,500 Comfort and CityCab taxis. ComfortDelGro chief spokesman Tammy Tan told The Straits Times that the firm is "exploring the idea" of equipping its vehicles with AEDs.

You probably have seen a video that went viral recently about a woman removing her clothes in anger on Middle Road. She even went as far as pulling down her panties! If you haven’t, here’s the video courtesy of Roads.sg In the video, you can see a woman taking off her clothes in response to a man (a cab driver) walking away from her. She is believed to have done this to play the victim card and make false accusations that the cab driver was the one who did it to her. Crucial eye witness account An eye witness of the incident posted the video on Roads.sg According to the witness, he saw the lady kicking the cab. She then began chasing the cab driver, scratching, punching and going all bat shit crazy. The driver did not retaliate to her provocation. So what triggered this? There have been no reports (as of yet) as to what led to this behaviour, but theories are being thrown around on social media. Even I would be offended. At least give me $10 What happened in the end In a recent STOMP article posted earlier today, it’s been confirmed that the lady, a 31-year old woman was arrested for PUBLIC nuisance. Yeap, I spelt that one right. You can read the full article here Header image by STOMP

COME next Monday, prepare to fork out as much as 49 per cent more for a cab ride, now that ComfortDelgro, Singapore's biggest player, has unveiled its 'overhaul' of the current taxi fare structure. This follows what it says was an 'in-depth review' of the taxi industry to address commuters' concerns, simplify the fare structure and encourage call bookings 'to better match the demand and supply of taxis'. City Area Surcharge - Up First, to incentivise more cabbies to ply the Central Business District during peak hours, the city area surcharge, which is now $1, will be raised to $3 between 5pm and midnight from Mondays to Saturdays. The lack of taxis in the city at the end of office hours on weekday evenings is a frequent complaint from passengers, the company noted. For drivers who are afraid of paying Electronic Road Pricing charges to enter the city and risk not getting a passenger, ComfortDelgro says it will even pay an 'ERP rebate' to cabbies who cannot land a passenger within 15 minutes of entering an ERP zone. Late Night Surcharge - Up The late night surcharge between 12am and 5:59am daily will be revised back to 50 per cent of the metred fare - instead of the staggered 10 to 50 per cent surcharges now in effect. Will this revive the old problem of 'disappearing taxis' between 11pm to midnight? The company says no, 'given that the City Area Surcharge will be in force right till midnight, giving little reason for taxi drivers in the city to 'hide'.' Peak Period Surcharge - Up Instead of the standard $2 peak period surcharge now in effect between 7am and 9.30am on weekdays and 5pm to 8pm from Mondays to Saturdays, passengers will have to pay an added 35 per cent of their metered fare during those hours. A detailed breakdown of this extra 'premium fare' will be shown on each receipt 'to ensure transparency', the company says. Flag down, distance rate, waiting time - Changed As hinted earlier, the flag down fare will be raised by 30 cents from $2.50 to $2.80 for the first kilometre. But the distance rate and waiting time will also be adjusted to 'more accurately reflect the cost of travel', it added. So instead of upping fares by 10 cents for each set distance or waiitng time, this will soon go up by 20 cents each time. Specifically, every 385 metres for the second to 10th kilometres, and every 330 metres above 10 kilometres. The waiting time will also be raised from the current 10 cents for every 25 seconds to 20 cents for every 45 seconds. Call Booking Fee - Down Bucking the trend of the increases, call booking fees will be cut from $4 to $3.50 during prime time hours, which are 7am to 9.30am and 5pm to 11pm on weekdays. It stays at $2.50 for all other times. 10 to 49 per cent more in overall fares Under the new pricing structure, ComfortDelgro says, the bulk of its passengers who travel during off-peak hours will pay 10 per cent more in fares. All other passengers will be expected to pay between 18 per cent and 49 per cent more. The biggest jump in fares will affect those who take cabs out of the city from Mondays to Thursdays, between 8pm and midnight. Instead of $7.65 currently for an average 9km trip, they'll have to fork out $11.40. With all these changes factored in, ComfortDelgro explained, peak-hour cab fares in Singapore are about the same as Hong Kong's but still only half that of Sydney's. Local fares are also only about a quarter of London's. 'Better match supply and demand' Refering specifically to the current difficulty of getting cabs in the city during peak hours, ComfortDelgro's CEO (Taxi Business), Mr Yang Ban Seng, said: 'We think this fare revamp will better match supply and demand of taxis. Our aim is to try and ensure that more taxis will go to areas where they are needed most and at the times they are wanted most.' Mr Nah Tua Bah, president of the Comfort Taxi Operators' Association, added: "The higher city area surcharge will act an an incentive for drivers to make that trip back into town." Welcoming the increases, a joint statement by six taxi operators' associations called the latest fare adjustments 'fair and timely'. The associations said cab fares should 'reflect the operating cost of the taxi business' and that the primary consideration should be the 'income stability' of drivers. The group urged other taxi companies to follow ComfortDelgro's lead and also adjust their fares 'as soon as possible'. Summary of Fare Adjustments Basic Fare Current Revised Flag Down: $2.50 for 1st km* 1km to 10km: $0.1 for every 210m Above 10km: $0.1 for every 175m Waiting time: $0.1 for every 25sec Flag Down: $2.80 for 1st km* 1km to 10km: $0.2 for every 385m Above 10km: $0.2 for every 330m Waiting time: $0.2 for every 45sec Peak Period Premium $2 flat rate Mon-Fri, 7:00am-9:30am Mon-Sat, 5:00pm-8:00pm (not applicable on Public Holidays) 35% of metered fare Mon-Fri, 7:00am-9:30am Mon-Sat, 5:00pm-8:00pm (not applicable on Public Holidays) City Area Surcharge $1 Mon-Thu, 5pm-8pm Fri & Sat, 5pm-11:30pm $3 Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight Late Night Surcharge 11:30pm-11:44pm 10% 11:45pm-11:59pm 20% 12:00am-12:59am 35% 01:00am-05:59am 50% Midnight-05:59am 50% of metered fare Current Booking Fee Prime Time: $4 Mon-Fri 7:00am-9:30am 5:00pm-11:00pm Non-Prime Time : $2.50 All other times including Sat, Sun & Public Holiday Prime Time: $3.50 Mon-Fri 7:00am-9:30am 5:00pm-11:00pm Non-Prime Time : $2.50 All other times including Sat, Sun & Public Holiday * For Toyota Crowns and Nissan Cedrics

Hi guys, recently saw a lot of cars putting up the "fake taxi" decal. Even PHV vehicles also put up the stickers, think the drivers want their fantasies to come true. What do you think??

A widow who lost $280,000 after handing the money to an acquaintance to make a Chinese property investment has lost her legal bid to get it back. Madam Lim Choo Eng's husband died in 2012 when a Ferrari crashed into his taxi and she used some of the money she got after his death to invest in a plot of land in China, giving it to Madam Koh Siew Eng - including a $50,000 deposit within four days of meeting her. When she realised she had been tricked, she tried to sue Madam Koh for a refund - but Madam Koh contended that she was just a "mouthpiece" facilitating the transaction and had transferred the money to a third party in China who granted Madam Lim a sub-lease for the plot. In a judgment on Friday (Aug 23), a High Court judge dismissed Madam Lim's case, even though he found she was honest and he believed her testimony more than Madam Koh's. Justice Choo Han Teck said Madam Lim's claim of misrepresentation must fail as she had not pleaded that there was a contract, oral or written, between her and Madam Koh. "Although it seems to me that Lim appeared to have acted in reliance on Koh's representation, and might even have come to an agreement with her, none of that was pleaded and the court cannot write their contract for them," said the judge. Justice Choo will hear arguments on costs at a later date, but said he did not think Madam Lim should have to bear any legal costs for the case. Madam Lim's husband, Mr Cheng Teck Hock, died aged 52 after a speeding Ferrari crashed into his taxi at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street. The Ferrari's driver, Chinese national Ma Chi, also died in the accident. Mr Ma's insurers offered advance payouts for third-party claims while public donations poured in for Mr Cheng's family. In 2014, Madam Lim decided to invest some money through Madam Koh. The two women became acquainted through their respective sons, who were friends. Madam Lim said Madam Koh claimed to be a successful investor and offered her a joint investment opportunity to buy land in China which was to be redeveloped and sold for a profit. Between March and August 2014, Madam Lim transferred more than $280,000 to Madam Koh and Madam Koh's sister. In August 2014, Madam Lim and Madam Koh flew to China to meet Mr Lu Jinlin, who was supposed to lease the land from a village committee. He did not show Madam Lim the land because of "bad weather" but she was assured by Mr Lu and Madam Koh that she would get a stake. In March 2015, Mr Lu came to Singapore and signed a document granting Madam Lim a 70-year sub-lease for part of the land. Madam Lim did not get any more information about the deal and said it was only in 2017 that she realised Madam Koh did not invest in the land. Madam Koh said Madam Lim was always aware that she was only an agent; she denied having made claims about a joint investment. She said the money was transferred to Mr Lu and his family between April 2014 and October 2016. Madam Lim's lawyer, Mr Renganathan Shankar, argued that Madam Koh had orchestrated the entire scheme as she was aware of Madam Lim's finances due to the publicity surrounding her husband's death. He argued that Madam Lim was entitled to rescind the contract or to damages. But Justice Choo said Madam Koh was not a party to the sub-lease, a contract between Madam Lim and Mr Lu. The judge added that the sub-lease was "highly suspect". Unfortunately, the authenticity of the document was not challenged, nor did Madam Lim check with the land owners as to whether her sub-lease was recognised.

Anyone travel to Yangon recently? How is the airport taxi situation there? Pay in kyat or USD? Please advise if you have been there recently.

I'm from the old school, IMHO I will not buy a car which are use as Taxi. Tis is my opinion, juz like to hear from bros n sis.

https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=351168979094837&_rdr He called the police so no reason to post this on FB. Poor girl. I would have paid for her and gave her my contact to return the money. Many uncles here would do the same hor.......

Rumors? Test balloons. MLMLWML Rule against this, implemented in 2012 to address complaints that it was driving up car premiums, said to be under review Christopher Tan Senior Transport Correspondent Taxi operators may soon be allowed to compete with car buyers for certificates of entitlement again - a move which may fuel competition for COEs. Regulations banning cab firms from bidding for COEs were put in place in 2012 to address a longstanding gripe among car buyers and sellers that taxis were dri-ving up premiums and providing unfair competition. The Straits Times understands that those regulations are being reviewed, and it is possible that they could be reversed. The LTA, however, said that it would not comment on "market speculation". Even though taxis were almost always larger cars - which should rightfully be competing for COEs in Category B (cars above 1,600cc) - they were lumped with Category A (cars up to 1,600cc) in the past. It was not uncommon then for taxi companies to make up one-third of the bids submitted during a tender. With the removal of taxis from COE bidding, put in place by former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew, cab operators have been paying Category A's prevailing quota premium (PQP, or a moving average of past premiums). The move eased pressure on Category A almost immediately. But two years after the rule change, private-hire operators such as Uber and Grab started to grow their fleets and, unlike taxis, were allowed to bid for COEs. The pressure on prices eased when Uber pulled out of Singapore last year, but started to build up this year with the arrival of Indonesian ride-hailing firm Gojek. With Grab's fleet expansion, and smaller players like Ryde and Tribecar joining the fray, premiums are once again heading north. The Straits Times understands that allowing taxi firms to bid for COEs again could form part of an industrywide review of taxi and private-hire operations. Results of the review, conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), are expected by the middle of this year. Industry players said they have been hearing about the possible change, although no one has been informed officially. Trans-Cab managing director Teo Kiang Ang said such a move would not be desirable as it is likely to drive up COE prices, translating into higher business costs. Premier Taxis managing director Lim Chong Boo said companies would have to make "strategic changes to the business model" if they are allowed to bid again. Motor traders expect the move, if implemented, to displace more private car buyers. For the past few years, private-hire operators have edged out thousands of car buyers with aggressive fleet expansions. Yet, many of the cars they bought lie idle. Mr Ang Hin Kee, adviser to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, concurred. "We have a zero car growth policy. This is not a very smart way of doing things," he said when asked what he thought about the massive idle fleet, estimated to number more than 2,000. Mr Ang, who is also deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, had called for a cap on the taxi and private-hire car population. He pointed out that there are about 130,000 taxi and private-hire vocational licence holders, and too many drivers vying for commuters. Mr Ang said the age requirement for new taxi and private-hire drivers could also be raised to prevent an oversupply of drivers.

I was heading home today from changi airport all the way to jurong using ECP / AYE.... encounter alot of road hoggers .... 80% are taxi-drivers. hardly can see a taxi driver who will give way but there are nice taxi drivers who will give way ..... i guess most of the taxi drivers's mindset are "what important is my bussiness and time ahead, what happen behind is none of my bussiness." their tradmark speech when encounter accident... if you hit their taxi " i want $xxx.xx amount of money otherwise , i will report you to your insurance .... my claim amount will be very high cos i can claim lose of income , lose of use of vehicle to go geylang ,and all kind of crap.." if they hit on your vehicle " please dont report to my insurance and if possible dont repair lar, no damage mah.... i got 1 wife not working , 5 kids and 2 mistress at geylang to feed"

New ride-hailing firm FastGo to launch in Singapore SINGAPORE - A nine-month-old Vietnamese start-up is hoping to carve a place for itself in Singapore's ride-hailing scene, currently dominated by industry giants Grab and Gojek. FastGo announced on Wednesday (March 20) that it aims to launch services here at the end of next month, and will begin registering drivers on April 1. The initial fleet size here will be at least 3,000 cars on the roads, FastGo Singapore country manager Diep Nguyen told The Straits Times. The firm currently operates in Vietnam and Myanmar, and plans to launch in five other countries in the region - such as Indonesia and the Philippines - by the end of 2019. Ms Nguyen said the firm invests an initial sum of about US$3 million ($4 million) in each new market. Referring to competition from Grab and Gojek, she said FastGo was "competing with them well" and that it would learn from its rivals' "experience and weaknesses to provide good policies and services for commuters and drivers". FastGo also intends to collaborate with taxi operators here, she added. In response to queries, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman said: "We are working with FastGo to help them understand and operate in accordance to the local regulatory requirements." The LTA spokesman added that all prospective private-hire car booking service operators must comply with existing regulatory requirements before being allowed to operate here. FastGo aims to differentiate itself from Grab and Gojek - which collect a fee of about 20 per cent per fare from drivers - by charging them a daily subscription fee of less than US$5 if a driver's income exceeds US$30 a day. National Private Hire Vehicles Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said: "Collecting subscription fees is one novel way of recruiting drivers, but the litmus test is ease of getting commuters and collecting good earnings." He added: "If they can do more for drivers, such as providing insurance coverage and helping with Medisave, it will enhance their attractiveness and assure commuters that this new app has a big pool of drivers to serve their needs." Others, however, are sceptical about FastGo's chances. "It really depends on how much resources they can put in," said Singapore University of Social Sciences urban transport expert Park Byung Joon. "If they not have much resources to attract more drivers, it will be just another small storm in a tea cup." FastGo aims to raise US$50 million in the coming months to fund its regional expansion plans. In comparison, Grab recently announced it had secured some $2 billion in funding. Said Associate Professor Park: "Unless they (FastGo) can give more to drivers and commuters than Grab, it will be tough for them to compete." https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/new-ride-hailing-firm-fastgo-to-debut-here-in-april so any promo code ?

I advocate Taxi/PHV should be regulated to have equipped with a minimum in-car safety standard. To me, it is their very basic social responsibility to make sure the car is as safe as possible. As public transport, shouldn't they have responsibility to the safety for their passengers? Everytime a taxi/PHV involved in an accident, the driver is the only one responsible. Shouldn't the Taxi/PHV rental companies have responsibility? Full spec SRS is the most basic one. Why they are not equipped with full SRS specs? Are they really not affordable with Singapore standard of living? Most passengers sit at the back seat. Curtain airbags could have saved life and avoid serious injuries, including the Commonwealth Avenue West accident at 19 Apr 2018, should the taxi was equipped with curtain airbag. (To the victim family, Sorry to bring up this painful lost. My thought is with the young lady. My intention is to do something to prevent similar incident in future.)

While the tax hike on diesel has affected businesses and cabbies, the move will help discourage usage of the fuel and create a better and healthier living environment, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng. He noted that the land transport sector is the second-largest source of emissions in Singapore, and this has to be addressed as the land transport system expands. To do so, the Government is also promoting commuting modes such as car-sharing, trains and personal mobility devices, managing vehicle growth and usage, and encouraging the adoption of cleaner and more carbon-efficient vehicles, he said. MPs Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) and Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) yesterday raised concerns about the hike, as they called for more support to mitigate the impact on cabbies and businesses. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had announced a doubling in excise duty on diesel fuel from 10 cents a litre to 20 cents last week. This took effect from Feb 18. Yesterday, Ms Lee pointed out that no lead time or grace period was given, and many service providers which use diesel vehicles have lost money overnight. She called for ComfortDelGro, the largest taxi operator here, to at least absorb part of the diesel tax hike. Meanwhile, Mr Gan said certain heavy machinery and special purpose vehicles have no diesel alternatives in the market, and appealed for firms and operators using them to be exempted from the hike. In his speech, Mr Baey listed several ways in which the Government is helping to cushion the impact of the diesel tax increase. Related Story What's behind diesel tax increase? Related Story Singapore Budget 2019: Diesel duty at pumps doubles to 20 cents per litre Related Story Diesel duty hike will filter down to some consumers: Industry The annual special tax for taxis has been reduced by $850, and Mr Baey said he was glad that all taxi operators have pledged to pass on the entire savings to cabbies in the form of rental reductions and, for some, Medisave top-ups. ComfortDelGro cabbies driving a diesel taxi that is five years or older can get a $100 voucher if they convert to a hybrid taxi by the end of next month, he added, urging other taxi operators to offer similar incentives and more non-diesel options. On concerns from parents about school bus fares, Mr Baey said the Government is helping operators through a new road tax rebate scheme for all diesel buses, for a three-year period from August. All diesel school buses, diesel private-hire buses and excursion buses ferrying schoolchildren will also get an additional cash rebate for three years from August. Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) said after the sitting that he hoped more taxi firms would take up Mr Baey's call to support cabbies. But the National Taxi Association's executive adviser added that rebates like the $100 voucher from ComfortDelGro offer only slight reprieve to taxi drivers, as the daily rental rate for a hybrid taxi is $120, compared with $100 for a diesel taxi. "Taxi firms should look into lowering the rental rates. If not, cabbies may not switch to hybrid taxis, and instead clock longer hours and distances on their diesel cabs to cover the higher diesel rates. "This runs contrary to the intention of the tax hike," Mr Ang said. https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/baey-diesel-tax-hike-for-better-living-environment

When PHV is mentioned, what thoughts/feelings come to you immediately?

I'm just wondering which taxi company do you think have the most amount of bad taxi drivers. In my opinion its comfort/city cab, they are the ones weaving through traffic, stop suddenly without signalling. I think even in most accidents involving taxis, the comfort/city cab are most likely to be involved. Anyone with other opinions?

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/grab-driver-challenges-himself-24-030321825.html A Grab driver who goes by the name of Sonic (gotta go fast after all) recounted on Facebook his experience in pushing himself to work for 24 hours as a personal challenge — an ordeal that earned him $912 in total from the 59 jobs he took. Wanting to prove that it is actually possible to rake in close to $1,000 on a weekday, the Grab driver embarked on his quest on Monday, when the clock struck midnight. The man even uploaded video logs of his 24-hour work day on the ProDriver IncGrab driver community page on Facebook to show his progress. In the first clip, he mentioned that he would begin the shift at Changi Airport, acknowledging that it would be pretty hard to get many passengers on a Monday. “I strongly advise against driving such long hours because it’s actually very dangerous for yourself and the rider,” he urged. “Rest assured that I will stop if I feel too tired, but I’m very well rested over the weekend”. Grab driver challenges himself to work 24 hours. just how safe is it to drive 24 hours a day? thought commercial drivers got limitations to the number of hours they can drive a day? or not applicable to grab drivers? endangering other road users also.

Sent car for regular servicing. Took a cab to collect my vehicle. Smooth and comfortable ride. I peeked at the odometer and saw it is 400,000 + KM. Taxi uncle shared with me that the vehicle will run fine if: 1. Stick to the servicing schedule, for cabs, they have to send car for servicing at least once a month. 2. Immediately repair or replace faulty or dying parts. "Mai tu liao". The longer you drag, the more related parts it will damage. I thanked him for his advice. Any truth to what he said?

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_741449.html

A taxi driver was jailed for two weeks on Thursday for assaulting a motorcyclist in a road rage case. Poh Teik Eng, 43, pleaded guilty to using both his clenched fists to punch Mr Yen Chee Jiang, 28, on his chest area at the junction of Havelock Road and New Market Road on Feb 10 last year. A court heard that Mr Yen was travelling behind Poh along Havelock Road on a right-turn only lane when Poh tried to change to the lane on his left. He abruptly jammed his brakes to try and filter to that lane but could not due to the heavy traffic. Shortly, Poh again jammed his brakes and tried to change to the lane on his left. Mr Yen sounded his horn at him and shouted "Oi'' as he passed the taxi. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...d-rage-20130711

I guessed he was over worked and probably too stressful. RIP ...Mr Loke..my condolences to his families http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cabbie-found-dead-in-his-taxi.html

Lamborghini Huracan Taxi In a UK first, Wolverhampton council has granted a private hire car license to a supercar. The Lamborghini Huracan, worth at least £180,000 ($260,000, €230,000), will be the first taxi of its kind in the UK. The green Lambo is more than likely the only taxi you'll ever get with a five-litre engine and a top speeds of over 200mph. Admittedly, the streets of Wolverhampton aren't be the best place to put your foot down. If you think black cabs are expensive, Wolverhampton's Lamborghini might be out of your price range. The minimum charge for a journey is £349 for 90 minutes.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/22/hyundai-sonata-bisimoto-sema/ "This year Bisimoto's tuners are teasing their latest wild creation by starting with a normal 2015 Sonata and turning the wick up to 708 hp thanks to a long list of engine mods. The key in this massive injection of power is taking the regular 2.4-liter Theta-II four-cylinder engine and doing everything necessary so that it can actually withstand so much additional strain. That means introducing forged pistons and connecting rods and an improved valvetrain with new cams, plus a high-boost turbocharger to really up the ante. It's all then mated to a six-speed manual to get things rolling. After hundreds of hours of testing, failure analysis and prototyping, 18 new products will be engineered and produced in house to produce 708 horsepower from the Sonata," said Bisi Ezerioha, owner of Bisimoto Engineering in Hyundai's release." Imagine the Sonata taxi in SG with 708HP :D

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/taxi-drivers-could-obsolete-three-223246289.html What do you guys think? I think the day is surely coming. Even Uber is intensely investing in this sector. The day Private Hire companies will truly huat is when they can get rid of their highest cost - human drivers.

SINGAPORE - SMRT is in talks to sell its taxi business to private-hire operator Grab. If successful, the deal will see SMRT, the third largest cab operator, exiting the business it has been in for 27 years. The proposal is also for SMRT to have a stake in Grab - a Malaysian start-up that is seen to be a keen rival of Uber - and at least one seat on its board of directors. The Straits Times understands however, that the proposed deal has hit a bump over the jobs of SMRT Taxis' workers. SMRT, fully owned by the government's Temasek Holdings, wants the buyer to ensure all affected workers retain their jobs. But Grab it seems is not keen to take on more headcount as it has its own staff. "Because of this, the sale is nowhere close to a deal," a source familiar with the talks said. SMRT is reviewing its businesses since Temasek became it's sole owner and delisted it last November. It is understood the government investment giant wants SMRT to double up its focus on the rail business, with a view to make the MRT and LRT lines it operates far more reliable than they have been in recent years. The taxi sale, if successful, could signal SMRT's disposal of other less substantial businesses with low margins - such as buses. Its smallish footprint in the bus sector grew even smaller when it lost the Bulim and Selatar route packages to Tower Transit and SBS Transit respectively. SMRT had also wanted to start a mobility business based on autonomous road-going pods. But that too, has been shelved because of Temasek's focus to get the rail business fully back on track. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/smrt-in-talks-to-sell-taxi-business-to-grab

From my recent experience with taxi I am of the opinion, this surcharge system is open to massive abuse 1. taxi driver drive slowly so to enter the "surcharge period" 2. before midnight cannot find taxi, suddenly after midnight taxi starts to appear. 3. Not only elderly person but people like us can be confused and not sure if it right type of surcharges added. I really dont mind paying for a taxi but not with all these confusing surcharges and open to abuse that make me uncomfortable to confront the taxi. One taxi driver (ah Pek) tell me CNY leh the other side issue, went to friends condo to visit, the indian security guard ask me for ang pow cant believe it is time so bad or just the way society has been conditioned to think nothing but money only your comments please thanks any similar experience and how to convince authorities to change