Offer ‘green’ taxi customers rebates, discounts

Compared with other countries such as Japan, Singapore is a late adopter of electric taxis plying the roads. But given that this initiative bodes well for both the Land Transport Authority and the environment, better late than never (“S’pore’s first electric taxi fleet to start operations in September”, July 26).

The move reflects the Government’s progressive stance towards adopting green technology, and I applaud these efforts to shrink the carbon footprint of road traffic here.

The potential drawback I see is the question of whether the adoption of “green” cars might mean higher operating costs — as these cars are more costly — and whether this will eventually be passed on to the consumers who use these services.

Perhaps there should be a rebate or discount for commuters who choose to book electric taxis, such as a 10 per cent discount compared with the fares of conventional taxis. With this in place, it could generate more demand from consumers and make them more amenable to “saving the environment” as they can save some money at the same time. This could result in a win-win-situation for both provider and passenger.