Campaign to address spike in illegal parking summons among cabbies

SINGAPORE — Members of the National Taxi Association (NTA) are in a tight spot after closed-circuit television cameras were installed to deter illegal parking — with the electronic eyes having caught taxi drivers dropping off passengers in places they are not supposed to.

The cameras were introduced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to deter drivers from illegal parking or picking up/dropping off passengers in prohibited zones.

Between last June and March this year, NTA members received more than 280 summons from the LTA, compared with an almost negligible figure before that, said the association.

Taxi drivers told the NTA they had been caught on camera after passengers had insisted on being dropped off in prohibited areas, such as double yellow zig-zag lines or bus lanes, for their convenience.

Drivers caught flouting the rules were fined up to S$130 and given three demerit points.

NTA executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said many taxi drivers try their best to pick up or drop off passengers at locations that are convenient for the latter. “But when (drivers) are not able to, not all commuters understand the reasons,” he added.

To help raise road-safety awareness among passengers and taxi drivers, the NTA has launched a “soft educational” campaign that involves distributing 10,000 packets of tissue paper.

The packets, which contain instructions on how to hail a cab and be dropped off in the proper manner, have been distributed to passengers and taxi drivers in “hot zones”, where illegal pick-ups or drop-offs often occur. 

These zones include mature estates, where amenities such as shopping malls are located near areas where cameras have been installed — such as the stretch along Rochor Road in front of Fu Lu Shou Complex and around Cineleisure Orchard.

The NTA hopes to get the LTA and taxi operators to support its campaign.

Mr Ang, who is also Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC, however, noted that a long-term solution to the problem would be to have proper infrastructure that permits legal drop-offs or pick-ups in these “hot zones”. 

Several taxi drivers told TODAY that passengers often insist on alighting in prohibited zones, such as bus lanes, for convenience. “We do explain to passengers ...  but they refuse to listen,” said cabbie Raymond Ong, 56. 

Fellow driver Henry Tay, 45, added:  “Some of them will even say, ‘Don’t worry, I will prepare the money. Once the cab stops, I will jump out.’”