Complaining about taxis in Singapore

[Sergei82]

Getting increasingly pissed off with taxis here. It really looks like the situation got worse within last few years.

Complaints (some of them were already discussed):
1) While flagging down a taxi, many of green ones just ignore me for some unknown reason.
2) They are not just ignoring me, they may stop further ahead and instead of me take some Chinese-looking individual(s) flagging down the taxi as well.
3) Time to wait for a cab even at taxi stand (if it is not downtown area) can easily reach 40-50 minutes.
4) Last Saturday I was taking a cab from Teban Gardens to Tampines, it took me around 80 minutes until finally one of them did me a favor and took me in (other 10 of them ignored me without even slowing down).
5) Very hard to call taxi - often takes as long as just to wait for one (can't reach, taxi not available at the moment, takes a lot of time to arrive etc etc etc).
6) Often they themselves tell you where they're going, not you tell them where you need to go.
7) It is expensive, and you pay for comfort. But where is the comfort when after 40 minutes of waiting you're already totally soaked with sweat? It look like MRT is much more comfortable and faster nowadays.
8) Some of taxi drivers do not speak English.
9) Some of taxi drivers do not know where to go.
10) Annoying questions about which road do I want to take (as if I know anything about it - I'm not a driver!)
11) They're causing a huge lot of accidents and many people hate them on the road.
12) They are just a bunch of hugely overpaid ugly bastards whom I hate with every fibre of my soul!!!

Done for now... feeling a little bit better. Just grunting in the morning.

[gonzales]

I find the taxis service in Singapore excellent, comfortable, responsive & very good value compared to Europe.

I'm not being argumentative, it just works well for me, 99% of the time.

Some times a green one passes without stopping me too but not very often.
Maybe 1-2%.

[nutnut]

I agree, in CBD, taxis are hard to come by!

I never had a problem with taxis not slowing down for me, sometimes they are in a wrong lane and cannot get across, or, if I try and stop them in no stopping areas they aren't allowed to stop they don't. Normally no issue.

[therat]

6) Often they themselves tell you where they're going, not you tell them where you need to go.

This normally happen when they are changing shift.
They are telling you which direction they are heading to change shift. If you are along the way, they will pick you up.
Very common.

10) Annoying questions about which road do I want to take (as if I know anything about it - I'm not a driver!)

There are some people complaining that the taxi driver go to the way which they are not prefer.
Hence taxi company want all the taxi driver to ask the passenger , do they has any prefer way to go.
This is standard.
If the taxi driver didn't ask and passenger complain, they will get warning.[/quote]

[Sergei82]

Taking other people ahead instead of you is also not an issue?

[gonzales]

Taking other people ahead instead of you is also not an issue?

I haven't experienced it to be honest. except when it should, i.e. I'm not first in their approach.

[Barnsley]

Taking other people ahead instead of you is also not an issue?

The old "looking the other way" technique when they see you and proceed to pick up someone about 50 yards down the road.

If I have been tucked up by the driver as above and I can get to the Cab I just go and tell the folk queue jumping I am first please get out of my way.

[Barnsley]

If I have to book I use the SMS technique, I have found its the best way to get a cab.

[therat]

Taking other people ahead instead of you is also not an issue?

I never come across this.

However, I seen before 2 Caucasian standing at the road side , just beside the entrance to express way try to get a taxi.
Who will stop at that location?

[ecureilx]

This normally happen when they are changing shift.
They are telling you which direction they are heading to change shift. If you are along the way, they will pick you up.
Very common.

no .. there are drivers who insist that you must be dropped off at the place they prefer to drop you .. than where you want to go ..

Example : Uncle, drop me near Farrer park Station, Race Course

Uncle: I drop you near Banana Leaf, can ah ?

Me: No, I want to get off at Farrer Park Mrt Station

Uncle: I drop you Banana Leaf better What

So how ??

or they insist that, say, Race Course Road, for them, Race course Road means only Banana Leaf or Muthu Curry, and when you say towards Balestier, they cannot process that info and will still insist coming from Bukit Timah road is better

I gave up on these long time ago ..

[Sergei82]

How about this situations: I am at Telok Blangah and I want to go to Raffles Place. I flag down a taxi and say "Raffles Place". Answer: "I don't know how to go to Raffles Place, but I know how to go to Harbourfront. I will take you there."
WTF????!!!!! That is not even close to where I need to be! That is a completely different place!

And yes, I do not flag down on Highways, I flag down in appropriate places.

[zzm9980]

I've never had any of these problems. In fact, I'm with gonzales, I've found most Singaporean taxi drivers to be nothing but polite. Even when we're halfway to Harborfront and I realize I've forgotten my passport

It could be that once I open my mouth and they know I'm American, they know they're getting a tip, I give them a $1 or $2 (rounding up to the closest non-coin denomination), feel like a complete cheap ass, and they're ecstatic.

My only complaint would actually be the roughly ~1/3rd of the drivers who bring up conversations about Geylang or OT when I'm alone. (Oh, you live here? You try Geylang ah?) It was amusing the first dozen times or so. Now, it's old.

[Steve1960]

I also have not had any of these experiences, not even the OT or Geylang comments.

Recently I had problems with the regular company I have used for the last year. The drivers no longer seem able to find my apartment block number. I admit Lorong 2 is a bit of a maze but the drivers now consistently wait at the wrong apartment block when I order a taxi over the phone.

After a few minutes they cancel the pick up and drive off then I have to start the booking process all over again.

[Hannieroo]

I've not had Geylang, funny enough.

I did have a fantastically grumpy driver yesterday who told me how stupid the govt was and how they are bringing all of these new tests in for drivers. At the moment they are optional but it's all about understanding and speaking English and that is stupid and it's done on the internet and that's stupid because he's 60 and now you need O levels to get a cab license and that's really stupid. My estate was stupid, he asked me my rent and that was stupid. I enjoyed him.

[Sergei82]

So it is me doing something wrong with those taxis? Huh???