6-DIAL-CAB from 21 Jul 2008

You might have heard it early this week.

Or, you might have not.

It doesn't affect us commuters who take this mode of transport, because ALL we want is a cab that will take us to our destination - whatever the company is, be it blue, yellow-top, Red, Silver, Green.

Now now now, if u are those who usually dial a cab, THIS is something u should know.

---

Booking a taxi? Just call one common number from July 21

BOOKING a cab will be a breeze from next Monday. Taxi commuters will just have to call one common number - 6342 5222 - or remember 6-DIAL CAB.

The move, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday, is to make it easier and more convenient for taxi commuters, especially tourists.

The common taxi booking number will complement the taxi companies' call booking systems, which will continue to be in use.

A commuter who makes a call to the common number will have access to up to three taxi companies' call centres.

The call will first be routed to one selected taxi company's call centre. If the lines there are busy, the call will automatically be re-routed to another taxi company's call centre. The call will be terminated only after three attempts to route the call is unsuccessful.

The new initiative was included in the Land Transport Master Plan announced early this year.

'It provides commuters with an additional avenue to book a cab. With the common number, commuters will be able to book a taxi from any of the taxi companies by calling 6-DIAL CAB,' said a statement from LTA.

Ms Tammy Tan, ComfortDelGro Corporation Group Corporate Communications Officer said: 'Many Singaporeans are already familiar with ComfortDelGro's taxi booking number, 6552-1111.
'There is however one group of commuters who may be confused with the different taxi booking numbers and they are the tourists. For them, the common booking number will be of help.'

Added Mr Lo Chee Wen, Vice President of SMRT Taxis: 'The new common call booking number for taxis is an added way in which we can serve commuters, on top of SMRT's call booking number 6555 8888. We welcome it and are happy that commuters now have another convenient manner to reach us when they are in need of a taxi.'

Mr Lim Chong Boo, Managing Director of Premier Taxis said the move would help visitors to Singapore who may be unfamiliar with how to get a taxi.

Welcoming the additional option, Chief Executive of SMART Automobile Pte Ltd, Mr Johnny Harjantho said its drivers will stand to gain from an increase in phone bookings to the company.

Commenting on the move, Mr Seng Han Thong, adviser to the six Taxi Operators' Associations, said LTA had consulted the associations on the feasibility of a common booking number and they supported it because it would bring more bookings.

He added: 'Singaporeans will also benefit from it as they only need to remember one telephone number to call and as the chances of them getting a taxi in a shorter time will be higher as the system will forward their booking requests to the next available taxi company. These would translate to more call bookings and thus, higher earnings for our taxi drivers.'

*****

It officially starts tomorrow. So no more multiple numbers of taxi companies such as 6552-**** or whichever numbers that hasn't stuck into our minds yet.

I think it's a good initiative.

Whenever i take a cab, i'll usually chat with the drivers and ask them about their benefits and stuff like that. And those that are not Blue or Yellow or Yellow-Top cabs, the taxi-drivers usually comment that they don't get a lot of call-cab requests. And u know lah, when u call a cab, there's $3.20 (????) in addition to the base fare (and if during peak hours the surcharge, and if in the CBD area the additional $3).

I remembered when i was younger, i used to play this PC game which is similar to the Monopoly, but the character starts with a character called 阿土仔 (probably from the kampong). So the game starts exactly like how Monopoly is played where there's dice and yahdah yahdah.

And when a player has this card, called a 驱富卡 (the gathering of all the wealth of all the players), he can choose to use this card when he's really down and out, because it will firstly gather all the wealth of all the players, and then dividing them equally among the 4 players. So the poor will become of equal standing with the super duper rich, who are not so happy to share their wealth.

When i heard the news about this, this game and this 驱富卡 came into my mind.

So the red, silver and the green cab will get to benefit from what their biggest competitor is enjoying: popular call cab services. But of course, if the operator is too busy, then this pie may not be beneficial.

Maybe i'll ask the drivers from these companies in a month's time if this is really helping them. But then, 90% of the time i'm being picked up by the Blue cab. Ah, are the smaller contenders able to get a share of this, esp since they are so out-numbered?

I'll only know if i get to sit their cabs.