by Jared Heng
From March 1, operational hours for the Central Business District (CBD) taxi rule will be shortened and aligned with the full-day bus lane operational hours, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Wednesday.
With the revision, the CBD taxi rule that requires taxis to only pick up and drop off passengers at taxi stands and on the driveways of buildings along roads where public buses ply will be shortened by 2.5 hours.
The new operational hours will be between 7:30 am and 8 pm from Monday to Saturday, except public holidays. This compares with 7 am to 10 pm currently.
LTA said the shorter hours will allow taxi drivers to pick up and drop off passengers along roads where public buses ply, and for passengers to hail a taxi along these roads earlier.
It added that these adjustments were made in consultation with taxi companies and taxi driver associations, which expressed support for the changes and agreed that they strike a balance between minimising safety risks and addressing the operational concerns of taxi drivers when driving in the CBD.
Also from March 1, the existing three-demerit point penalty for breach of the CBD taxi rule will be removed. The fine will be increased from S$100 to S$130, to bring it in line with the full-day bus lane penalty.
Wee Boon Kim, President of the National Taxi Association (NTA), said: “We are glad that LTA has listened and considered NTA’s feedback carefully in their decision-making on the easing of CBD rules.”
He added that the move will benefit both drivers and passengers, while making it easier and more convenient to hail a cab and alight near the destination.
LTA said that since the implementation of the CBD taxi rule on 1 March 2008, the number of taxi stands in the CBD has increased to 121, compared with 80 previously.
Taxi stands are located within 250 metres or about a five-minute walk from major buildings within the CBD.
Taxi drivers can also pick up and drop off passengers at the driveways of about 220 buildings in the CBD.
