SINGAPORE - Changi Airport Group (CAG) is building a new waiting area for taxis waiting in line to pick up passengers from Terminal 1 (T1), in a move to improve the traffic flow and overall road safety at Airport Boulevard.

The waiting area will comprise an additional second-storey deck built on top of an existing taxi queue area for taxis bound for Terminal 3.

Currently, a long tailback of taxis from T1 often forms during peak hours, such that the leftmost lane of Airport Boulevard is occupied only by taxis. CAG said the queue stretches up to 800m from T1 at times.

With the new holding area and some changes to the existing road network, CAG will isolate the T1 taxi queue so that cabs will no longer wait along Airport Boulevard. When completed in May next year, the new deck will triple the capacity of the T1 holding area to accommodate about 300 taxis.

The project, which involves building the new deck and several new roads, will cost $50 million. Motorists travelling to the airport will not be affected by construction works.

CAG said the increased capacity will allow more taxis to queue within a safer environment away from heavy traffic movements, thus minimising the risk of accidents and inconvenience to motorists.

The new deck will have toilets for cabbies, and provide shade for drivers in the T3 taxi queue.

Mr Gerald Chan, president of the National Taxi Association (NTA), welcomed the development. He said it will create a safer and more comfortable queuing experience for cabbies.

"To many of our drivers, Changi Airport is an important location as it offers every driver almost an assured fare. NTA has provided our feedback to CAG and we are pleased that our inputs have been considered in the development."