Incentive for cabbies to pick up travellers at airport

With more people able to fly into Singapore with greater ease, Changi Airport Group has launched an incentive programme to encourage taxi drivers to pick up passengers from the airport.

Drivers will be given a reward of $10 for each day they make a minimum of three trips from Terminal 1, Terminal 3 or Jewel Changi Airport.

Trips must be made during three time windows - 6am to 10am, noon to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm - under the programme that started yesterday and ends on April 30.

The 100 drivers who make the most number of trips from these locations throughout the month of April will get to participate in a lucky draw.

Ten winners will each receive $1,000 worth of preferred fuel or petrol kiosk vouchers.

The incentive comes after Singapore further relaxed pandemic measures, with travellers no longer required to take only designated flights to enter the country without having to serve a quarantine, and quotas for daily arrivals removed.

Higher traffic is expected at the airport with the easing of travel measures, and bigger crowds were seen in Terminals 1 and 3 yesterday. ST observed that there were three to four groups of passengers in the queue for taxis at Terminal 3's arrival hall yesterday morning.

On the incentive being offered, Strides Taxi driver Charles Ban, 51, feels that it could be difficult to fulfil the eligibility requirements.

He said that while cabbies are able to get passengers almost immediately during the peak period of 8am to 10am, they would likely have to wait for as long as an hour during the rest of the day, when demand is low.

"If I'm lucky and all my trips from the airport are to areas in the east, I might be able to complete three trips without having to queue each time. But if I get a passenger going to the Central Business District, it's not worth having to go all the way back with the possibility of having to queue," he said.

Mr Henry Tay, 52, who is with ComfortDelGro, said he would resume heading to the airport if the Covid-19 situation in Singapore remains stable.

"I like to pick up travellers because when they like talking to us, they will arrange subsequent rides with us throughout their trip," he said.