10/09/2015

Uber and Grab taxis and Khaw Boon Wan

Gintai wrote an article about the new ‘pah ong chia’ or private taxis in the more sophisticated form of Uber and Grab taxis and why they are providing unfair competition to the rejected PMEs now driving govt licenced and control taxis that required them to take a Taxi Vocational Licence(TVL) test. To qualify for a TVL one must be a Singaporean and to take a crash course plus security vetting for criminal records.

The ‘pah ong chia’ drivers need not require to go through all the stringent processes and could simply drive their taxis under whatever rules or checks of these operators. No need to be citizens. Of course they claimed to check their track records too.

And no one could see anything wrong with these ‘pah ong chia’ drivers. It must be the right thing to do. It started in the West, so much be good. The West are doing it, so should be no problem. And this is another form of free enterprise, deregulation, free trade and all the jest. Finally we have someone who has a little commonsense to question this silly thing.

I only have one question. How many of you would put your parents, wives and children in a car driven by a total stranger, maybe not even Singaporean, whose track record or criminal record is not questioned? Or how many of you think it safe enough even for yourself to be driven around by an unknown  element where the authority has very little knowledge or control over them?

Are we so innocent and naïve to take personal safety so carelessly? The Singapore today is not the same Singapore of the past. We are in an open space for all and sundry to be here.

PS. If the drivers of Uber and Grab are subject to the same security regiment, and Singaporeans, then the issue is different.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

/// I only have one question.
How many of you would put your parents, wives and children in a car driven by a total stranger, maybe not even Singaporean, whose track record or criminal record is not questioned?
Or how many of you think it safe enough even for yourself to be driven around by an unknown element where the authority has very little knowledge or control over them? ///
redbean

But uncle redbean.
Didn't Singaporeans already answer ALL your questions when 70% of us voted PAP?

70% of us voted to put our childrens' education into the hands of two untested, brand new PAP Ministers who have yet to tell us what training in education policies qualifies them to set and guide education policies.

But every elections is same same.
All the newbie PAP Ministers will be installed into the Education Ministry.
Where the damage cannot be seen for years.
And Singaporean parents will hire private tutors to fix up any damage caused by the newbir Education Ministers.

Is the above true?
Is the above fair comment?

Anonymous said...

How many of you would put your parents, wives and children in a car driven by a total stranger, maybe not even Singaporean, whose track record or criminal record is not questioned?
RB

Not to worry, RB. I think majority of such strangers are good people, and only a very tiny minority may pose some risks to some really unlucky passengers.

And in this world there is no 100% no risk one, whether taking a Uber or Grab taxi, or whatever lah.

And so far any serious incidents reported of Uber or Grab taxi drivers? No also, tio bo?

Anonymous said...


Let There Be Competitions!

It is Supply And Demand 101 at work!

If Uber and Grab taxis are really dangerous, sub-standards, poor
services, etc etc etc, the demands will be poor or no demand.

There must be something good and beneficial to commuters about
Uber and Grab taxis.

Don't just kpkb kpkb about Uber and Grab taxis and blaming unequal
playing field.

The present taxi operators must get out of their comfort zones and
"think-out-of-box", make changes, and let there be competitions.

Yes! Let there be competitions!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Hope that unlucky passenger got robbed or raped is not someone close to you.

Goh said...

Another entitlement mentality Sinkie.
Par Ong Chia are the most reasonable fared transport in the olden days and its those rich people
that do away with it and replace it with the name so call license taxi but have a share.

With these Uber etc taxi driver can no longer be choosy or lazy or go Geylang to sleep overnight.
First world must have first class transport lah.
Whats wrong with these drivers lah .Its
discrimination.
I hope to be a Par Ong Chia driver if given a chance.
And you can see how a Par Ong Chia driver can be graded betterer than most cabbies.

Anonymous said...


anonymous 10.03am pls note......

yes you are not wrong.......can get robbed and raped....

but anyone can get robbed or raped anywhere in Singapore........

there were aso "famous" news/reports on regular taxis in newspapers too.......

so sama sama lah......

living in this very uncertain, cruel, and scary world, we need plenty of lucks to be safe and sound.....

cheers.......

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I use Grab Taxi all the time in Singapore and Malaysia. I use Über locally and everywhere else---especially Australia where the cabs are FILTHY and drivers RUDE.

I totally support Disruptive Technology--like these "ride sharing" apps because disruptive tech often offers better outcomes for THE CONSUMER, who is "always right". (in his mind). Fuck the govt who tries to interfere---eventually they will lose anyway.

Everything is subject to open and "unfair" competition. That is what keeps us as a species going: competition and innovation.

Another great thing about Uber: No need to carry cash or convert currency. 👏👍 Land in new cuntry, boot up Uber app, order a car, get accurate fare estimate and YOU'RE DONE!

Taxi operators like to capitalise on any incidence of criminality on the part of Uber drivers. Of course that is bound to happen, given the sheer numbers of Uber drivers and rides all around the world---i.e.OVER ONE MILLION RIDES PER DAY.

Given that large number, there are bound to be some incidences of "bad behaviour". As time goes on the operators of ride sharing apps will improve on their systems---because that will help them remain in business, and protect their reputations.

Got disruptive tech? (other tech to fuck your shit up: drones (note SingPost's latest tests), electric driverless vehicles, robots, more algorithm-controlled stuff (get rid of inefficient human labour doing soul-destrying repetitive tasks), crypto currencies like BitCoin, 3D scanning and replication (printing, nanotech), synthetic biology (new "lifeforms", non-carbon based), virus-tech, desktop DNA printing....etc etc.

Can't / won't compete or integrate, then sorry for you, you will go EXTINCT. (and you'll be to blame)

Anonymous said...

Matilah Tonight says he likes dispruptive technology.

But 70% of Singaporeans voted against Opposition.
A very disruptive technology in parliament.

What happens if more Opposition gets into parliament?
PAP MPs cannot sleep anymore.
Their sleep gets disrupted.
They now have to pay attention to the debate.

Their usual work routine also get disrupted.
Cannot just nod their heads and collect their $16,000 salary anymore.

Anonymous said...

Gintai has been kicking his own mouth every so often, stop being a cry baby, uber and grab is leading the way, the incentives given out and very much cheaper rentals should and will have the likes of ntuc and com to reduce the rentals, only stupid ppl like Gt would bad mouth it, he should try uber, then comment, but like all the drones, he bitch about it. The take home for drivers has increased so much more.....regulating it would mean taking one step forward and 3 steps back.

Grab drivers are by no means easy, they still have to put in the hours as only those nearest will be given the call and to achieve the 5 calls, they still have to put in the hours.
Just because he now drives a ntuc cab he scream murder, please stop for a moment and use that brain of yours to think, dun you feel that the rentals are exorbitant, the 250km, the cbd's, erp etc. Grab driver's still have to pay thier rentals but the condition are exactly the same, its the company that has the brains to leap frog with thier reasonable rentals and incentives....and that's the freaking difference. Stop picking on the drivers, you idiot, you shouldn't cry when you agreed to the terms, no one pointed a gun at your head to choose.

Please stick to writting food stories, I have a high blood pressure, diabetic friend that cannot put in the fucking hours like before, he at least now feels much better with that little more time to rest.
I agreed with the regulation that all drivers must have at less a taxi license, it makes total sense as they have been gone through that gruelling hours of learning and that in this industry they shouldn't allow, tom, dick or harry, if not you can find the bangla's and ah tiong's driving.

Anonymous said...

Agreed, should hv taxi lic and only for singaporeans.

Abao said...

Take note that Gintai was not against Grab Taxi itself.

Grab Taxi has 2 service, the Taxi and the Car service.
It is the GrabCar side that might be more tricky to handle in the current regulatory environment

The taxi option is great however.
I suggest entire Call Centres can be made redundant by the app, and a skeleton force set up to man the phones for transferring to the phone app.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@202:

>> Matilah Tonight says he likes dispruptive technology.

But 70% of Singaporeans voted against Opposition.
A very disruptive technology in parliament.
<<


Our individual personal likes and dislikes will not have any effect on the onslaught of disruptive innovation. The tech will come, there'll be fractures and dislocations, some winners and some losers, and total DESTRUCTION of the old and now useless.

Feelings? They're irrelevant.