No Change No Gain
The Year of Goat is the Year of Hope. Although the economic recovery is slow and uncertain, the outlook is nonetheless improving. With the threat of war in Iraq looming in the background, we must continue to maintain a positive attitude, so that we have the drive to turn adversities into opportunities.
Public transport industry faces changes
The public transport industry in Singapore is going through changes. We saw the expansion of the MRT and LRT systems - the SengKang LRT has begun its operations and the Northeast MRT Line will follow soon. The construction of the Circle Line has begun. We also saw companies consolidating - TIBS and SMRT have merged, and Delgro and Comfort shareholders have to decide whether to merge both companies.
We see the emergence of a multi-modal public transport companies providing an integrated MRT, bus and taxi public transport service. How will taxi services evolve? How can it remain competitive compared to other modes of public transport? These are the key challenges facing taxi companies and operators as the industry restructures.
The Singapore Taxi Academy: preparing taxi drivers for changes and challenges
The Singapore Taxi Academy (STA) is one way of preparing taxi drivers for the changes and challenges. The Government has given its approval on the setting up of the Academy last month. The good news is that LTA will be providing a one-off grant of half-a-million dollars to support the initial development cost of STA. The three taxi companies and taxi operators' associations will collectively provide another $200,000 to make up the $700,000 needed to start up the operations of the Academy. If you are the winner of TOTO last night with millions of dollars, you are welcome to top up.
The approval to set up the Academy is timely. It is uniquely positioned as an industry-driven training centre. It has two key objectives: one is to raise the standard of the taxi service industry and the other is to enable them to find a job in the new economy outside the taxi industry. The Academy will build new capabilities in our taxi drivers through mandatory Taxi Driver Vocational License (TDVL) and industry-based training programmes. It will further provide our taxi drivers with affordable quality training programmes conducted by national training institutions such as Polytechnics and ITE.
The protem committee on setting up the Academy has started its work. The committee comprises representatives from the taxi companies, LTA, NTUC, and the three taxi operators associations, namely the CTOA, CCOA and TTOA. It is a truly collective effort. The committee is working hard to launch the Academy sometime this year.
Close partnership between taxi companies and taxi associations
Let me thank the senior management of three taxi companies and the leaders of the taxi operators associations for the relentless support that you all have given in setting up the Academy. This would not have been possible without the strong partnership between the associations and the companies.
This strong partnership between the associations and taxi companies is built on mutual trust and respect. It extends beyond the setting up of the Academy. Since the inception of CTOA, CCOA and TTOA, the three taxi companies have firmly supported the associations in various ways, such as improving the welfare of taxi drivers and providing them with training opportunities. The companies provided seed capital, office space and seconded administrative staffs to support the operations of the associations. During the economic downturn, the companies worked with the associations to implement various relief schemes and packages to help taxi drivers.
These strong partnerships must be recognised. In fact, the Distinguished Partner Awards presented by the taxi associations today is a strong recognition of the support given by the recipients. Through the awards, the taxi associations hope to further cement the strong partnership to build a stronger foundation for future growth.
The three associations will step up its membership recruitment exercise. It is in the interest of the taxi drivers that they join the associations. Our taxi drivers have enjoyed many of the schemes and programmes that the associations managed to negotiate for them through the strong partnership with the companies. The associations will look after the interests of the drivers.
There will always be changes and challenges in life. But I am sure that with the strong partnership we have build up over the years among the associations, taxi companies and the Government, we will overcome the challenges
I believe that many of you understand that the changes are necessary. Our challenges are how to be more pro-active to the changes. As the saying goes, "no pain, no gain". In the new economy, the saying should be modified to stress the changes: "No change, no gain "
May I wish you all Yang Yang De Yi in the Year of Goat.
