ComfortDelGro Taxi has announced that it will introduce a new flat fare option on 10 April 2017 for bookings made through its Application to simplify the fare structure.
The company said that the new option will be made available alongside the traditional metered fare and commuters will be able to choose the one that best suits them.
The flat fare option takes into account the distance to be travelled and computes a fare based on existing surcharges.
However, it noted that once a flat fare is chosen, there will be no additional surcharges levied, unless the passenger changes the destination point or makes unplanned stops along the way and that travel delays due to traffic jams will not result in a higher fare – unlike the metered fare option.
The Company noted that unplanned changes to a flat fare booking will incur charges. A $5 charge for every additional en-route stop and a $5 charge for a change to a further destination (for every 5km additional travelled thereof) are applicable, adding that ERP charges will be levied as incurred.
ComfortDelGro said that drivers will be encouraged to take on flat fare bookings through a waiver of the call levy and that those with the most number of flat fare bookings fulfilled will also be rewarded.
“Dynamic pricing, which essentially allows for fares to fluctuate with commuter demand, is something the Company is still exploring,” it said. It is important to allow time for our drivers to get used to flat
The company stated that it is important to allow time for its drivers to get used to flat fares and for the company to monitor our fare pricing competitiveness in the market and to ensure that its street hail customers are still being served.
Mr Yang Ban Seng, CEO of ComfortDelGro Taxi, said, “As part of simplifying our taxi fares, we are now offering a flat fare option for bookings to provide passengers with certainty upfront at the point of booking, thus making it less confusing.”
The Company noted that this is how passengers can select the flat fare option using the App:
- When making a current booking, choose either “Any” or “Normal 4-seater” taxis
- Key in the pick-up and drop-off addresses
- Two options will appear for passengers to choose from: Flat or Metered Fare. Passengers can switch between fare options before confirming, saying that flat fares refresh every five minutes. Promo codes are applicable for both types of fare options.
However, it said that flat fares are currently not available for street hail, advanced booking and premium taxi
services.
