New SMRT Taxi Share service allows hourly rentals

A new taxi sharing scheme unveiled by transport operator SMRT will allow drivers to rent taxis on an hourly basis , as opposed to a daily rate, in an effort to put more taxis on the roads as well as to offer cabbies greater income opportunities and more flexibility in managing their work schedules.

The new SMRT Taxi Share service will allow drivers who hold valid Taxi Driver Vocational Licenses (TDVLs) to pick up and return the rental cabs at selected locations for use in three-hourly blocks, said an SMRT media release on Thursday (26 January).

Drivers taking up this short-term rental option will not be required to purchase season parking for the rented vehicles nor will they have to seek relief drivers to help cover vehicle rental costs. SMRT Taxis will also regularly service and maintain the taxis, saving drivers time and money.

SMRT Taxis, which manages a fleet of over 3,500 taxis, will be offering drivers a promotional rental rate from as low as $3.80 an hour for a limited time. According to a Channel NewAsia (CNA) report, full-time drivers currently pay between S$108 and S$125 to rent a taxi per day, before incentives.

“The scheme allows us to tap on a large number of inactive TDVL holders and have taxis ply the road according to commuted demand,” said Tony Heng, managing director for SMRT Taxis and Private Hire Services.

The CNA report also quoted Heng as saying that an estimated 50 per cent of the 100,000 TDVL holders are actually inactive.