Prime Taxi to raise its flag-down fares

SINGAPORE — Prime Taxi — the smallest taxi operator here — will raise its flag-down fares across its fleet of 880 cabs from Tuesday, following in the footsteps of Premier Taxis, whose fare hikes were announced last Friday and took effect yesterday.

Prime’s customers will have to fork out between an additional 20 cents for smaller models, such as the Honda Fit and Toyota Allion, and 50 cents for the operator’s Toyota Vellfire limousine taxis.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, Prime’s Deputy General Manager for Taxi Division Neo Chee Yong said the fare hikes are intended to help cabbies “cope with the rising operating costs of fuel”.

With the revision, Prime’s taxi meters will start at S$3.20, up to S$4.50.

It will also raise its “additional passenger fees” by between S$2 and S$4 for their bigger taxis that can take more than four passengers. For example, the revised additional passenger fee for the Toyota Estima or the Honda Stepwagon range will be S$6 — twice the current S$3. Those hiring the seven-seater Wish or the Freed eight-seater will have to pay a fee of S$5, instead of the current S$3, while the Vellfire range’s fee will increase by S$4 to S$9.

Last Friday, Premier Taxis, which has over 2,100 taxis plying the roads here, announced higher flag-down and meter fares that started yesterday.

Its Kia Optima Silver Cabs’ starting fare was raised to S$3.70, while the meter fares for its Kia Carnival Silverlux premier taxis were also adjusted upwards — the first kilometre will cost S$3.90, but customers will have to pay 30 cents for every 400m thereafter up to 10km, and 30 cents every 350m after 10km. For every 45 seconds of waiting, the fare also increases by 30 cents.

Premier’s move brings the Silverlux’s metered fares on par with largest operator ComfortDelGro’s MaxiCab range. Comfort had raised the meter fares for its MaxiCabs in April this year. Previously, the meter jumped by 22 cents for all three components during a taxi journey. WOO SIAN BOON