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New fares for ComfortDelgro taxis kicked in on Monday.
During peak hours in the morning, a taxi commuter can clock up charges of as much as $8 even before the cab moves away from the curb.
First, $4 for the morning rush-hour booking fee, which kicks off half an hour early now, at 7am.
And then, there is the peak period surcharge, which is now $2 instead of $1 previously.
Adding to the $6 is the flag-down fare of $2.50 - 10 cents more than the previous $2.40.
Tallying up, just getting into a taxi can set a commuter back by about $8.50.
On the road, every 10 cents now covers a shorter distance.
Compared to the old taxi fares, a commuter now has to pay about 20% more for a 10-kilometre ride.
For some commuters, this is enough for them to reconsider and switch to other forms of public transport.
"Try to wake up earlier and take a bus or MRT to work," said a middle-aged Chinese man.
Similarly, a young Chinese man said that he would switch to an MRT ride.
Same reactions for 36% of 4,056 commuters polled on channelnewsasia.com who said they would now take buses or MRT trains.
More than half said they would only take a taxi if necessary, just like a middle-aged lady who said: "No choice, if it rains or I'm in a hurry, I'll still have to take a taxi."
However, business on the first day of fare increase has brought Comfort taxi driver Jorge Chew about 10% more income, which helps him to cover increasing fuel cost.
He said: "Maybe because of the rain, maybe because of last night's World Cup, so everyone woke up late and they needed a cab to rush to work."
Jorge said that his passengers told him that the increase in the normal fares was alright but for the $1 hike in the peak-hour surcharge, "they smile at me and say 'I try to wake up early'".
Two other taxi companies, SMRT and Premier Taxis, have confirmed that their revised fares will follow those made by ComfortDelgro.
Trans-Cab Services has also notified the Public Transport Council that it intends to adjust its cab fares.
SMART Automobiles is the only taxi company which has yet to indicate if it will revise its fares.
Incidentally, SMART Automobiles said bookings for its taxis jumped 30% on Monday. - CNA/ir
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