The change, which took effect yesterday, allows taxis to pick up and drop off passengers on all side roads which are not served by public buses, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.

On roads that buses ply, taxis will still be restricted to stopping only at taxi stands and driveways. But as part of its 'fine-tuning', LTA said 10 more taxi stands will be built, to bring the total to 115, and more will be sheltered, over the next two to three months.

More signs will go up at the end of the month to make it easier to find a taxi stand. Location maps identifying the stops will also be available at hotels and commercial buildings.

The changes have to do with the rule introduced by the LTA on March 1 in an effort to increase safety for all road users. The intention was to stop taxis from swerving across lanes or making sudden stops to pick up passengers in the CBD.

But for some, especially elderly and disabled passengers, the inconvenience was too high a price.

Restaurants and hotels with no driveways and in areas away from taxi stands also saw patrons and tourists avoiding them.

Having taken in all the feedback, LTA chief executive Yam Ah Mee said yesterday that the changes made balance safety concerns with the need to minimise inconvenience.

Asked if LTA should have anticipated the problem, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said: 'We need to look at this issue in context. LTA's principal consideration in imposing this rule is safety, and this remains a key concern.'

But he added: 'Some of the practical issues raised since the rule took effect on March 1 were valid, and once LTA was satisfied that the risk to safety was acceptable, it decided to act to make adjustments sooner rather than later.'

Welcoming the changes were people living and working in the side roads in areas like Chinatown, Bugis and Club Street.

Mr Nicholas Ng, 30, who lives in Smith Street, off New Bridge Road, said the rule is 'now more reasonable' as his wife - who has just given birth - and his elderly grandmother would have had to cross an overhead bridge to take a cab at People's Park Centre.

There was immediate relief at Club Street. Mr John Kua, the manager of Seven On Club restaurant said his customers found it easier to get a cab there yesterday.

But safety still remains the top priority. LTA's Mr Yam said that taxi drivers have till May 1 to adjust to the new rules, before they face fines of up to $100 and three demerit points.

As of last Saturday, 469 drivers had been warned.

With 80 per cent of the problems he faced in the CBD solved with the rule change, Mr Pang Desapro, 32, a Comfort cabby for almost three years, said: 'It's now much easier to drop off passengers at shophouses in the Duxton and Tanjong Pagar areas.'

ghimlay@sph.com.sg

aprilc@sph.com.sg

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