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Tag: Uber

  • Uber To Look Into Reports Of Inflated Fares Following SMRT Disruptions

    Uber To Look Into Reports Of Inflated Fares Following SMRT Disruptions

    Third-party taxi service-provider Uber will be looking into reports of inflated fares experienced by their customers, following a 3.5-hour disruption that crippled the North-South and East-West train lines on Tuesday (Jul 7).

    Some who had used the company’s app to book drivers had expressed frustration at having to pay fares that were higher than usual. Uber said that fares had gone up due to its “surge” or dynamic pricing mechanism.

    This causes fares to increase when there is high demand from passengers and low supply of cabs. It aims to incentivise drivers to ply the roads and take up bookings during such periods. The company added that once demand and supply are in balance, fare prices will come back down.

    The MRT breakdown on Tuesday had prompted more commuters to book cabs. Some of those who used the Uber app were shocked to discover they had to pay higher fares. One person said she paid around S$124, which is five times her usual fare.

    The company said it suspended the mechanism an hour after the full extent of the MRT breakdown was known. Still, it highlighted that users will see a notification on the app whenever there is “surge” pricing, and they will also be required to make multiple confirmations before they submit their request for a driver.

    Mr Karun Arya, Uber Communications Lead for South Asia and India, said: “As soon as we found out the extent of the disruption and the number of people who were stranded, we did turn off the dynamic pricing mechanism. But moving forward, if such situation does rise, our team will assess it accordingly and take the necessary action.”

    RALLYING TOGETHER DURING THE DISRUPTION 

    While some profited from the 3.5-hour disruption, others rallied to help others. Marketing executive Kerrin Kua, 27, was making her way home with her cousins and domestic helper when she realised there had been a train disruption, resulting in snaking queues at Ion Orchard’s taxi stand. Her cousin, Ainslie Kua, then had a brainwave – why not book a 13-seater van?

    They managed to get a van in about 15 minutes, and proceeded to ask those waiting in line for a taxi if they would like to join in.

     

    In total, Ms Kua told Channel NewsAsia nine others chipped in, and were dropped off at five different locations.

    “We were really excited, and I have always wanted to car pool,” said Ms Kua, who said some of the strangers she met were really chatty.

    Separately, Mr Tong Yee, director of social enterprise The Thought Collective, posted an offer on Facebook to give lifts to those who may have needed a ride home. His post garnered more than 500 likes.

    anybody need a ride from anywhere?I am home and willing to help anybody who might need a ride home.just drop a…

    Posted by Tong Yee on Tuesday, 7 July 2015

    “Like the fairy godmother to Cinderella he actually appeared at Toa Payoh offering to drive me and a few other desperate strangers at the taxi stand all the way to Woodlands,” a passenger wrote.

    Mr Tong’s initiative also prompted others to offer free rides in the comments.

    Another commuter who found herself stuck outside Somerset MRT station decided to make the most of the situation. Relating her experience on Facebook, Ms Tong Sian Choo said after meeting a woman who lived from her neighbourhood, she whipped out pieces of tissue paper and wrote “Hello! We need a ride to Yishun”, in hopes of hitching a ride.

    Just reached home half an hour ago at 12.30am. Am beginning to take in all that had happened for the past 3.5 hours on…

    Posted by Tong Sian Choo on Tuesday, 7 July 2015

    Her post has since been shared nearly 2,000 times, and while Ms Tong did not manage to get a lift, she found her way up a crowded bus to travel home.

    “As I looked around, there were migrant workers, families and individuals who were trying to make it back home. We started smiling at one another, somehow knowing that everything is gonna be okay. Just tahan this together,” she wrote.

    “All in all, so so so glad to see Singaporeans stepping up to care for one another, through their actions. Believe we are so much more than this breakdown,” Ms Tong added.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • LTA: Non-Cabbies Offering Paid Rides May Need To Be Regulated

    LTA: Non-Cabbies Offering Paid Rides May Need To Be Regulated

    Drivers who run chauffeur services under ride-booking apps such as Uber could soon be required to obtain a vocational licence which is currently compulsory only for taxi drivers.

    The Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday said it is looking into removing this exemption, as a way to ensure the safety of passengers taking private-hire rides.

    In a forum letter published in The Straits Times, the LTA said chauffeured vehicle services have become more accessible to the public with technology and, given the industry’s recent growth, it is studying possible measures to safeguard commuter interest.

    The taxi industry cried foul recently, following news of ride-matching apps and rental companies working together to run their own fleet of “taxis”.

    The rental firms lease out cars to drivers at a rate cheaper than taxis. Hirers then use these vehicles to fulfil bookings from apps such as Uber and GrabTaxi.

    These companies and drivers, however, do not have to meet the stringent requirements imposed on the taxi industry, such as vocational training.

    The LTA did not say whether a licensing requirement would apply only to drivers who do chauffeuring via apps or to the entire industry, which includes corporate charters and limousine services.

    Nor did it elaborate if it would affect drivers who use their own vehicles to provide paid rides.

    Uber drivers told The Straits Times that the time and money required to take a vocational course will be an extra burden.

    Uber driver Sam Samioen Moksam, 50, said: “Passengers rate drivers after every trip, and this already ensures we provide a safe and reliable ride.

    “Falling short can earn a driver a temporary ban or, in a worse case, (lead to his contract) being terminated.”

    Another driver, Mr Yu Kim Reed, asked why vocational licences are being implemented now, given that chauffeur services have been around for so long.

    “The only difference is that a (car hire) call centre has been replaced by the Internet,” Mr Yu, 30, said.

    National Taxi Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said a driver rating system cannot fully replace vocational training, refresher courses and medical examinations which taxi drivers have to undergo.

    Mandating vocational licences will be a “welcome start”, but he said rental car firms and transport apps should also abide by other requirements that taxi companies are subjected to by the LTA.

    These include ensuring their fleets are regularly maintained and serviced.

    App companies said they are willing to work with the LTA should vocational licences be required.

    Uber’s Singapore general manager Yaniv Goder said it hopes to be “included in the consultation process”.

    A GrabTaxi spokesman said it is in discussions with industry partners to develop a “comprehensive curriculum for private-hire drivers” and that it will encourage drivers to take up vocational licensing.

    Cabby Henry Tay, 45, said vocational licences will help the authorities keep track of drivers and offer passengers assurance of a safe ride.

    “We don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry picking up passengers, do we?”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Vehicle SJT1444Y Is Not Registered With Uber

    Vehicle SJT1444Y Is Not Registered With Uber

    Ride-booking service Uber said on Monday that the driver involved in an alleged case of overcharging – which is going viral online – is not one of theirs.

    This is in response to a Facebook account by a passenger, who said he was offered a ride in a private Honda car and ended up paying $97 for a trip from Beach Road to Yio Chu Kang.

    Uber said that the car, with a licence plate SJT 1444Y, was not registered with the company, and it has filed a police report over the incident.

    Mr Joverst Lee, 22, who made the Facebook post, told The Straits Times that he was waiting for a taxi along Beach Road on Sunday afternoon, when he was approached by a driver who claimed to be from Uber.

    Mr Lee, who was with his wife, 21, and his daughter, 3, and one-month-old son, said he was told there would be a flat rate of $3.90 along with a $0.70 charge for every kilometre.

    However, Mr Lee said he was in for a rude shock when during the journey, he noticed that the fare – which was being displayed on a phone app – had amounted to $50.

    Mr Lee said they were on the Central Expressway then, and he told the driver to drop them off at the nearest exit, which was at Yio Chu Kang, instead of going directly to his home in Woodlands.

    The final bill amounted to $97, with the driver changing his tune to say that the charge was $8 per kilometre instead.

    Mr Lee, who works in the construction industry, said he was concerned with the safety of his family then. “I didn’t want to do anything harsh, I paid him the money and just go,” he added.

    Mr Lee’s story has gone viral on Facebook, being shared more than 9,600 times as of 11pm on Monday, with over 1,700 likes.

    An Uber spokesman said this is the first case of its kind here, and that all of its rides are booked through the Uber app and the company does not allow street hails.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com