In response to the Ministry of Transport’s announcement that private hire car drivers will now have to apply for a vocational licence, National Taxi Association (NTA) said in a statement today that “bolder steps were required.”
The licencing requirement announcement was made by Senior Minister of State for Transport Ng Chee Meng during the Committee of Supply debate on 12 April 2016.
The Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL), which will kick in during the first half of 2017, means that private hire drivers will have to undergo safety training sessions and background screenings. They will also be subjected to a demerit point system for errant conduct, such as touting and soliciting street-hail jobs. They must also have been holding a Class 3/3A driving licence for at least two years prior to applying for the PDVL.
Private hire car drivers also have to register their vehicles with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), where a decal has to be distinctly displayed on the windows or windscreen of the vehicle. The decal has a tamper-evident feature, where any removal or attempt to tamper will make it non-reusable.
NTA Reaction
The new regulations are in line with some of the recommendations that NTA had called for in November last year in the interests of commuters’ safety.
However, the association had also called for other recommendations which were not included in the announcements.
In a report submitted to LTA, NTA had requested for reviews to be made to fare structures from private-hire services like Uber and GrabCar for a more level playing field. This would have also allowed commuters access to clear and transparent fee structures for both taxi and private-hire services.
They had also called for LTA to embrace the effectiveness of using new tools and technology to improve transport availability and the riding experience of commuters.
“On top of the proposed framework, commuters should also be protected with a clear and transparent accountability system provided by the private-hire services, so that there is proper recourse in the unfortunate event of accidents and dispute.
“NTA believes that the service quality standards for taxis and private-hire services should be harmonised. MOT (Ministry of Transport) should embrace new technology like direct user reviews to better monitor the requisite service standards for both taxis and private-hire services.”
The Next Step
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Ang Hin Kee said taxi drivers felt this was a missed opportunity to address all their concerns.
ASG Ang, who is also NTA Executive Advisor, said: “We had expected the Ministry of Transport to make the announcements at one go. There was a sense of something holding them back. Nonetheless, we will look to see how we can provide that push to expedite some of the more urgent issues at hand.”
Source: NTUC This Week
