Forum: Sort out issues before imposing new taxi cancellation policies
ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy ' (July 16).
I used to book a taxi via the CDG Zig app quite often, but have been avoiding it lately for several reasons.
Often, I get a notification that the taxi has arrived when it has not, and this makes me worry that I may be charged a late fee. There have also been instances where the taxi driver went to the wrong place and concluded that I did not turn up. He would leave after indicating a 'no show'. In one perplexing incident, the driver took my call, then proceeded to key it in as completed – meaning the destination had been reached – and charged me for the ride.
It was only after I sent a screenshot, showing that he had started and ended the journey within the same minute, to customer service that I managed to get a refund.
I often have taxi drivers not being able to locate my home, but this happens less often with the private-hire services.
I hope ComfortDelGro will sort out the issues mentioned before imposing new taxi cancellation policies.
Do Su Ern (Dr)
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There are also expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining food licences, which home-based businesses do not incur. The criteria for a licence - which costs S$195 a year - include a pest control contract, design specifications, cleaning schedules, up-to-date food safety certificates and more. Ms Lee pointed out that the design requirements - like a minimum kitchen area and specifics for exhaust system - can be expensive. Ensuring tax compliance also brings significantly higher costs. When Wheathead was home-based, expenses ran up to about 60 to 70 per cent of revenue. After moving to a shop, revenue grew by four to five times, but overheads and expenses also increased by the same amount, she said. Aside from rent, she pointed to difficulties finding manpower. Only migrant workers are willing to work in F&B given the long hours, low pay and customer-facing nature of the job; but businesses must first hire locals to achieve a mandated quota, she said. 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Home-based businesses (are) a good way for the scene to grow as the risks are much lower," said Mr Gan. Said Ms Lee: "Maybe restaurants and cafes should focus on their unique selling points rather than feel upset about the emergence of home-based businesses. "I think the market is big enough for both types of businesses to coexist, and the challenges faced by commercial and home-based businesses are quite different." Mr Karthik described home-based F&B ventures as bringing "intimacy, agility and cultural depth" that are increasingly difficult to achieve in restaurant settings. "Meanwhile, restaurants provide scale, service, consistency and trained teams – the backbone of any food economy," he said, adding that "there is a value in structure that cannot be replaced purely with innovation". With Singaporeans dining out an average of three to four times a week, "the appetite is there for both formats to flourish".
