aH of smiles and tears: November 2007
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
leb stopped your world at 8:22 PM



I have my doubts! But we'll wait and see..

Errant cabbies clean up act after stiffer penalties kick in
By Tania Tan
Members of the public are asked to call LTA's hotline at 1800-CALL LTA (1800-225-5582) if they want to give feedback or report errant taxi drivers. -- PHOTO: ST
ERRANT taxi drivers are cleaning up their act as stiffer penalties for flouting the rules take hold this week.

Not a single cabby was found overcharging, touting or refusing to pick up passengers on Monday, the first day when stiffer penalties for offenders kicked in, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday.

This is in sharp contrast to just a week ago, when 36 cabbies were nabbed in enforcement operations carried out by the LTA from Nov 6 to 17 at several spots such as Boat Quay, Chijmes, Clarke Quay, Mustafa Centre, Orchard Towers, Harbour Front, Sentosa and Tanah Merah Ferry terminal.

A third of these were caught flouting rules after Nov 12 - when stiffer penalties under the Vocational Licensing Points System (VLPS) were announced.

Since the beginning of its crackdown on errant cabbies in October, the LTA has nabbed 116 taxi drivers for various offenses.

Of these 59 per cent were drivers of Mercedes taxis. Of the 116 errant drivers caught, 27 were issued Notice of Traffic Offences, with more to follow when investigations are completed.

If penalised under the VLPS, five will have their vocational licence revoked while six will have their licence suspended for two to eight weeks. The others will get fines and demerit points.

The LTA said that it will continue enforcement operations in cooperation with taxi companies and drivers' associations to eliminate such malpractices.

City Cab driver Adi Negara, 48, welcomed the tougher stance against errant cabbies.

'Bad taxi drivers should be punished - the image of good taxi drivers should not be tarnished by others,' he said.

Passenger Mr Calvin Chua, 27, was sceptical that the harsher penalties would be effective in the long-term.

'It's a good sign that cabbies are getting the message,' said Mr Chua, who has been overcharged on several occasions.

'But I'm not sure if this will have a long-term impact,' he said, referring to the seat belt fine that was imposed five years ago.

He noted that some passengers have again reverted to not buckling up, with taxi drivers doing little to enforce the rule.

Cabbies who refuse to pick up passengers will now face harsher penalties: a $300 fine, six demerit points and an immediate two-week suspension.

If they solicit or tout for passengers, they will now have to pay $500, get 12 demerit points and face an immediate four-week suspension.

For those found overcharging by more than $20, their licences can be revoked altogether.

Members of the public are asked to call LTA's hotline at 1800-CALL LTA (1800-225-5582) to report errant taxi drivers.


Monday, November 19, 2007
leb stopped your world at 6:16 AM



hello, i just thought i'd be anecdotal, and explain my war against taxis. in the last 2 years, i've only spend a total of 10 months in singapore out of the 24 months that make up a year, and each time i'm back, i encounter the same problem that frustrates me to no end.

i'm usually standing at location X, which is situated somewhere in either the cdb or a main shopping outlet, and it's late, somewhere around midnight or just past midnight. i turn the corner and try and join the nearest taxi line, hoping to get home so i can put my head on my pillow and collapse for the day. the line usually has something like 5-6 people in it, and we wait in line, patiently for something like...30 minutes before the first taxi appears. the people ahead of me start getting annoyed, and typically, someone in front starts swearing and cursing. why? because waves and waves of taxis just jet past us, with their 'available' lights bright blue and lit, but they never stop. we stand there helplessly, watching them just float on by.

usually, a frustrated tourist just stands there clutching his day's worth of shopping and holds his wife, and tries to be patient. nearby, clusters of people start to form, calling for taxis on their cellphones and making phonebookings. as a result, the people in the line start to do the same, and then of course, the taxis start to turn in. i usually refuse to play this game, and stubbornly, i try and wait it out. on a normal weekday night- no taxis stop in the line, unless they're called.

i tend to feel real sorry for the tourists, who come to singapore expecting to be able to enjoy a simple, chill night out, but find themselves caught up in this taxi war. typically, they don't read signs (because most people don't read signs) so they don't know what number to call, and even if they do see the sign, they have no cellphone. if i, a resident and local, can't seem to get my head around this kind of thing, how about our tourists? i've been really frustrated and cheesed off with these taxi drivers. for the extra $4 booking charge plus $x CBD/city charge, they're prepared to let the average commuter really suffer.

i resent being held hostage by errant taxi drivers, but what amazes me even more is the fact that all the drivers seem to have decided en masse to choke out late night travelers. the weakness of this strategy by taxi drivers is that it's critically dependent on all the drivers to cooperate and work together. if one driver turns in and gives up the $4 extra, the ones who end up waiting for calls are the ones who lose out. it's a prisoner's dilemma- cooperation will ensure maximum benefit, but defection, or "cheating your partner" is likely unless discussion and deliberation has ensued.

this becomes very clear when you think about it. it's obvious that these taxi drivers have an unspoken agreement that somewhere, they've agreed ALTOGETHER, to not enter the cab line unless they've received a call. this is not only wrong, but simply, IMMORAL. it's almost as though the entire taxi profession is collaborating on this point. and i don't think i'm kicking up a fuss about nothing.

it's entirely possible to find yourselves in this situation, if you try and get a cab from raffles city, plaza singapura, marina, esplanade, city hall, raffles place, the cbd, clarke quay, lido, great world, and vivocity. i kid you not. try it out for yourselves.

and so, michelle- this is why i'm so glad they're taking action!


Tuesday, November 13, 2007
leb stopped your world at 4:23 AM



http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_175980.html
--
Finally, Justice.

AFTER a barrage of complaints, forum postings, and media reports on errant cabbies, the authorities have decided enough is enough.

From next Monday, taxi drivers who are caught touting, overcharging or refusing to pick up passengers will be hit where it hurts most - their pockets.

They will be slapped with stiffer penalties, including higher fines and demerit points, immediate suspensions, as well as revocation of licences for certain repeat offences, announced the Land Transport Authority on Monday.

Offences such as touting and refusing to pick up passengers, which only resulted in a fine and demerit points previously, now come with immediate suspensions ranging from two to four weeks.

If a cabby is caught touting and overcharging less than $20 twice in 24 months, his licence will be revoked. In the case of overcharging by $20 or more, the offender's licence will be revoked immediately.

Commuters such as Mr Freek Van Velsen, 40, a banker from the Netherlands who works at One Raffles Quay and who is constantly approached by taxi touts, were cheered by the new measures.

'I think it will work. For most taxi drivers that is quite a lot of money. I think now, with such a large fine, even if they get caught once it will hurt. In the past they might have taken the risk because the fine was not that high. This might make them think twice,' he said.

Taxi operators, who had worked closely with the LTA to introduce the new measures, called them timely.

Suspensions for first offenders hurt their livelihoods and serve as a wake-up call that they stand to lose their licences and hence their jobs if they repeat the offence within 24 months, said an LTA spokesman.

The new penalties 'strike a good balance between deterrence and providing opportunities for a contrite taxi driver to mend his ways', added the spokesman.

However, Mr Foo Chi Yong, 47, President of Premier Taxi Operators' Association, said they should not be intended as 'death sentences'.




Wednesday, November 07, 2007
xincity stopped your world at 2:02 AM



hello ah babies. sulynn will now switch off the lights and disappear from sight entirely. you won't see her unless she smiles. :D


Thursday, November 01, 2007
michelle stopped your world at 9:01 AM



helloo AH i miss youu!

lizz and i...














are in...



















































































































Yup, and last week i visited yina in minnesota! good times. :)
ack i dunno how to format this... the words go everywhere. anywayy. Hope everyone is doing well... please update!