Exempt taxis from COEs to lessen burden on cabbies

I refer to the online report “S$2.5 million fund to help taxi drivers upgrade themselves” (Dec 16) and the letter “Training won’t solve issue of long hours for cabbies” (Dec 19).

Since taxis are regarded as one form of public transport, the Land Transport Authority should consider exempting taxi operators from paying COE premiums for new taxis.

Taxi operators can then use the savings to help their drivers. For example, their daily rental can be lowered and they could have more paid days off, a lower security deposit and so on.

This will help lessen the burden on cabbies. In turn, drivers can concentrate on providing safe and satisfactory service. This would lead to a less hectic and more family-oriented lifestyle for cabbies.