HDT Singapore Taxi to double its fleet by June

Newcomer taxi operator, HDT Singapore Taxi, has announced that it will double its fleet of electric taxis to 100 cars by June this year.
Managing director James Ng stated that in the future the company plans to operate up to 800 taxis after acquiring a full Taxi Service Operator’s Licence by the middle of next year at the official launch of the company on Friday (24 February).
Mr Ng also said that HDT had made an arrangement with Grab. Therefore, commuters can book an electric taxi through the private hire car application.
The plan to grow the fleet under the terms of its Taxi Service Operator’s License (TSOL) from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
it runs under an e-taxi trial co-led by the Economic Development Board (EDB) which examines the viability of electric transportation in Singapore.
The first taxi of the company hit the road in October 2016. Since then, the company has set itself apart from competitors by offering drivers full employment and benefits.
The benefits include annual leave and CPF contributions, as well as overtime pay. The gross salary starts around S$1,600 per month, which can go up to S$3,200 if the targets of earning at S$7,500 on the road are met.
Speaking at the launch of a partnership between Grab and HDT Singapore Taxi on Friday (Feb 24), NTA chief Ang Hin Kee, said, that drivers should be able to pick an employment model that best serves their needs. Therefore, the country need more operators to offer more options, saying, “Why is it so important? Because taxi drivers will see their own needs, from their own perspective.”
Mr Ang said, “Some drivers that we spoke to have come back and said that they are assessing the demand and the standards set by this particular model – whether is it too high to reach, whether the terms of employment are adequate, and whether or not their income level will be able to (be) sustained.”
“I guess similarly, taxi operators are also watching this space and seeing whether this is a business model that they may want to roll out in due course,” he added.
In a tie-up with the National Taxi Association and the NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, all drivers have to go through a structured training programme comprising a work trial programme and on-the-job training.