12-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) Part of the essence of Chinese New Year (CNY) festivities involves visiting relatives, but for many, this year’s celebrations have been disrupted by transportation delays and exorbitant ride-hailing fares.
During the CNY period, private hire vehicle (PHV) fares have surged to double their usual rates, leaving passengers facing lengthy wait times of 10 to 20 minutes even for taxi services.
A 10-minute ride on ride-hailing platforms can now cost up to $30 — two to three times more expensive than usual. In comparison, ComfortDelGro taxis charge approximately $10 for the same journey.
“I’m an old granny and I don’t know how to use Grab,” confessed a middle-aged woman at a taxi stand in Clementi. “I want to visit my friends, but I’ve already waited about 30 minutes [for a cab].”
Another woman mentioned to the Chinese publication that she had been waiting for around 15 minutes.
“Normally, we’d only have to wait a short while before getting a taxi, especially since there aren’t many people in the queue,” she remarked.
Even for those who manage to secure rides through ride-hailing apps, the situation remains less than ideal.
A young woman at Ang Mo Kio Hub recounted how she had arrived there using a Tada hire because Grab was too expensive. However, when she attempted to leave, she couldn’t find a ride even with Grab.
Timing Matters
Despite apparent high demand, drivers noted a decline in earnings at the beginning of the festive season.
One taxi driver said that business was “dead” on Saturday, but gradually picked up on Sunday.
“Today is better than yesterday,” he remarked succinctly.
Addressing how they’ve adjusted to the fluctuating demand during CNY, another cabbie explained that they’re less active in the mornings.
“Not many people are out and about in the morning, so I don’t drive,” the cabby shared. “Once the afternoon arrives and people start visiting relatives, then we’ll start driving.”
However, it wasn’t just drivers who were less active on the first day of CNY — Saturday morning also witnessed complaints regarding ComfortDelGro’s booking application being down, persisting from the previous evening.
“What happened? Why does your app break down every festive season?” questioned a user on ComfortDelGro’s Facebook page.
“Wow, even the app is taking a holiday,” another user quipped.
