Comments on: Comfort Delgro plays number game but loses it on shift system

By: SGDaily Roundup: Week 5 « The Singapore Daily

SGDaily Roundup: Week 5 « The Singapore Daily — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:40:36 +0000

[…] Decay on Net: Our Transport Minister should do Hip Hop during the next Chingay - the(new)mediaslut: Comfort Delgro plays number game but loses it on shift system - Perspective Unlimited: Deadweight Loss of High Taxi Fare? - Insane Polygons: Adventures of Elite […]

By: Taxi Fares Hikes - ERP Gantry Rates Up - Buses and Trains Next?

Taxi Fares Hikes - ERP Gantry Rates Up - Buses and Trains Next? — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:12:48 +0000

[…] Comfort Delgro plays number game but loses it on shift system […]

By: the(new)mediaslut

the(new)mediaslut — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:00:39 +0000

@C#programmer: The taxi driver was laughing at ths SGD318 daily claim and the total monthly amount and the clarification.

@Charles: I share the same thoughts with you about the numbers. What does daily average means?

On your suggestions, the general increase in prices seem to be the only solution the scholastics brains at our government agencies can come up with.

Congestion on roads, raise ERP rates. Lack of taxi supply in CBD during peak hours, add more surcharge.

By: Charles

Charles — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:56:16 +0000

Not only that but what do the numbers given by Comfort Delgro represent? an average? what is the median value? what is the repartition?
With the current hike in fares i would expect that the demand in taxi rides would go down severly (I just have to look at the crowd in the MRT to think that it did go down).
I would expects that with the hike a significant number of cabies earn less money and and for a significant other earn more and average it would be equal.

Adjusting the fare price unilaterally like this can only results in two thnigs:
=> in a first time lower demand for taxis with an oversupply, which is exactly what the the PTC wanted in order to have affluent bankers happy.
=> in a second time a reduction of the supply as supply will adjust to the demand.
=> again an undersupply of taxis

The PTC does not understand the economics: the normal situation is an undersupply of taxis simply because if there were an adequate supply of taxis during peak hours there would be a huge over supply in non-peak hours.
There are no other ways out of this situation but to modulate the supply
- lower daily rentals; introduce hourly rentals (I am sure Comfort has unused cars)
- increase 10 fold the number of MRT lines/stations/frequency (the LTA is much too slow in this aspect)

By: c#programmer

c#programmer — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:40:43 +0000

Thanks for sharing your conservation with the taxi driver.

Was he laughing at:

- the $318 earning claim
- the minister that announced that earning
- the ComfortDelGro company
- the CDG clarification, or
- life as it is