jpatokal

Until now, visitors to Singapore could rely on the fact that any taxi waiting in a queue or hailed from the street would be same regulated price, be it a shiny white Mercedes limo or a beaten-up boxy Toyota... but no longer: SMRT has launched a fleet of big black Chrysler "premium" taxis, and not only do they charge $5 to get in (vs the usual $2.80-3.20), but the meter ticks up at $0.30/unit instead of $0.20/unit. Since most Singaporeans balk at this, they've now taken to picking up fares from the public taxi queue at Changi, and I ended up paying $30 for a ride that would cost $15 on an ordinary cab.



I've already dropped a note to Changi to suggest that they either ban these guys from the regular queue (after all, there's already a Limousine Desk) or at least give them a separate "Premium" section with the higher charges posted.

Braindrain

Thanks for the heads up. Heading over to SIN in the near future.

deltaflyer256

Almost wound up taking one of these cabs from a hotel on tanglin road a few weeks back... fortunately I glanced at the rate card and saw the extra charges. No thanks!

meester69

Looks like a Chrysler 300C. A cheap car made to look expensive.... It's no Mercedes.

kathycali

Another thank you for the information as I will be there shortly as well.

NetJets Germany

Actually you don't have to take them when you see them standing in the taxi queue - for example, this morning at Changi the taxi "coordinator" asked me whether I wanted the black one or a normal one - no fuss when I said I'd go for the ordinary one...

Singaporeans are well known to have "Scottish genes" in their blood, nobody will turn a head if you take the normal taxi behind the Chrysler even in an ordinary queue.

Fliar

Thanks for the heads up.

mobilebucky

Well the 300C do share some components from the older E-class. But I agree it is no Mercedes.

Thanks OP for the heads up.

Savage25

Still, its the only large American car with a decent driving experience...all the others drive like a boat or a couch.