ComfortDelGro to review charge in view of economic climate

CAB commuters may have something to cheer about soon, as the 30-cent fuel surcharge introduced in July may be lifted.

ComfortDelGro, Singapore's largest taxi operator, which initiated the unprecedented levy three months ago, is meeting the Taxi Operators' Associations today to review the surcharge.

If the company decides to drop or reduce the surcharge, the other, smaller players are likely to follow suit.

ComfortDelGro spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'We had committed to removing it when market pump prices fell to December 2007 levels.'

Though the price of diesel has fallen by about 25 per cent since July, she noted that it had not reached $1.19 a litre - the lowest price sold at public pumps last December.

Read the full story in The Straits Times today.

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

Originally posted by FireIce:

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

x10

Trans-Cab axes fuel surcharge

Much lower diesel price prompted move; other operators yet to decide

ONE of Singapore's smallest taxi companies has announced it will break ranks with industry giants and drop a 30-cent fuel surcharge.

Trans-Cab, which has a fleet of 2,200 red-and-white taxis, said it will lift the levy on Nov 11, just over three months after powerhouse ComfortDelGro introduced the surcharge.

It was quickly adopted by other cab companies, much to the chagrin of commuters still coming to grips with a fare increase introduced last December.

Trans-Cab managing director Teo Kiang Ang said the company decided to lift the levy because the price of diesel has fallen substantially since July.

'For the customer, the surcharge is not so good,' he said.

The flat surcharge was applied in July to help cabbies dull the impact of fast-rising diesel prices. But diesel at the pumps has fallen to $1.55 from the July peak of $2.03, on the back of weaker global consumption and softer speculative trading.

This has prompted many members of the public to question why cab operators are still applying the surcharge.

Trans-Cab, a newcomer when the industry was liberalised five years ago, is the fourth-largest of the six taxi firms here, after ComfortDelGro, SMRT Corp and Premier Taxis.

The other operators, including Smart Automobiles and Prime Taxis, have yet to make a decision on the surcharge, though they had a meeting last Friday with the Taxi Operators' Associations, which represents the interests of cabbies.

The association was unavailable for comment yesterday, though ComfortDelGro said: 'We will make an announcement when we have decided.'

It is unusual for a smaller player like Trans-Cab to make the first move on pricing matters. Instead, operators often take their cue from ComfortDelGro, which has about 60 per cent of the cabs here.

A manager at another operator said: 'We're too small to make such decisions; so we wait and see what Comfort does.'

Merchandiser Ivy Ong, 42, a regular taxi commuter, welcomed Trans-Cab's decision to lift the surcharge.

'I will definitely look out for Trans-Cab taxis. But why aren't the other companies waiving the surcharge too since the price of diesel has fallen so much?' - ST (29/10/2008)

Originally posted by FireIce:

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

it seems that way because they don't announce that they are thinking about the levy before implementing it.

Originally posted by FireIce:

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

its like that what. easier to climb than drop when they jiak ho liao jiak ka jin song.

lai liao lai liao

ComfortDelGro to remove 30 cents diesel surcharge from Nov 12

SINGAPORE: ComfortDelGro, Singapore's largest cab operator, will be removing the 30 cents diesel surcharge on taxi rides with effect from 6am, November 12.

The company said on Wednesday the move is in light of the recent decline in diesel prices and the weakening economic conditions.

Diesel prices have dropped from S$1.83 per litre this July when the surcharge was introduced, to S$1.38 per litre now.

ComfortDelGro said it will continue subsidising the cost of diesel for its drivers.

It spent S$16.2 million on diesel subsidies in the first half of this year.

Other taxi companies such as Premier Taxi said the removal of the surcharge will affect the driver's income, and therefore are still reviewing the matter with drivers before making a decision.

- CNA/yb

diesel at pump is now $1.38 meh? i thought it is still 1.5 something?

aiya easy for comfort to remove surcharge… they don’t lose anything… only cabby suffers…

Originally posted by FireIce:

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

no lah, law requires 14 days notice to PTC before any fare revision. cannot say drop dio drop so simple mah. pls tell PTC to drop this requirement if u want instant change.

Originally posted by ALN:

diesel at pump is now $1.38 meh? i thought it is still 1.5 something?

aiya easy for comfort to remove surcharge… they don’t lose anything… only cabby suffers…

so shouldn't we be buying at around $1.04 now. next price revision 12-Nov? give u 10cents, take back 4 cents........

Originally posted by FireIce:

after so long still monitoring and reviewing?
they took 0.5 seconds to decide to put in the surcharge, but take donkey years to adjust it back

tat time ppl alrdy said if it's back to $1.19.. actually even now e price aft disc outside is $1.48

all thks to PRC, e price of diesel shot up by 100% in 8 mths

30c is alrdy too low actually

want to raise gin gin raise
now want to remove will take so long...... going to implement oni in mid-nov

so that they can still earn from us commuters mah..

0.30 cent only .............what about the peak hr charge? knn..

unfortunately, the peak hr charge still stays no matter wat..

removing this 30cts surcharge like damn big news like that
top news for the whole of yday.....
even went to interview ppl about it......
scared ppl dunno they are trying to be "nice".... times bad... dun want ppl to pay more.... diesel price dropping.... so they remove it...

they are removing something they added on
so it's back to the same  thing
not like they reduce the flag down rate or peak hour charge or call charge

so no need 昭告天下 until like tt.... super fake.....

most likely they did it to show that they kept their word on removing the $0.30 surcharge when the time is right..

Originally posted by FireIce:

removing this 30cts surcharge like damn big news like that
top news for the whole of yday.....
even went to interview ppl about it......
scared ppl dunno they are trying to be "nice".... times bad... dun want ppl to pay more.... diesel price dropping.... so they remove it...

they are removing something they added on
so it's back to the same  thing
not like they reduce the flag down rate or peak hour charge or call charge

so no need 昭告天下 until like tt.... super fake.....

don't be surprised there are still people thanking them for that.   these bunch of greedy gahmen xue shang jia xuang. Times already so bad still go on increase the essential more than ever.

u want to fiak pls fiak correctly

or else i will just laff

how will this affect cabbies income??

please share your views,

thank you

dun think it'll have that much effect on cabbies..

but gd news is for the commuters..

$0.3×25 trips a full shift = $7.5 daily or about $180 per month…assuming no change in demand

Recession and cabbies get $180 pay cut...sianzz

What is comfort fuel now? at  $1.29 or $1.19?

anyway to save on fuel???

thank you