Ride-hailing services now offer wheelchair boot space, child seat
Passengers travelling with young children, the elderly or people with disabilities can now request child seats or extra boot space for foldable wheelchairs more easily when booking ride-hailing services.
This was rolled out from November as part of an ongoing review of the taxi and ride-hailing sectors, known collectively as the point-to-point transport sector, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor in a Facebook post on Dec 4.
Accompanying her post were screenshots of this function on various ride-hailing apps.
These included an option to book a ride for a child below 1.35m on ComfortDelGro’s Zig app; child-friendly and wheelchair space options on the Gojek app; and child- and wheelchair-friendly options on the Grab app.
Additionally, from January, all taxi and ride-hailing operators will have to notify passengers, drivers and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) within an hour of any systemic incidents that could impair the provision of point-to-point transport services.
Operators intending to leave the Singapore market will also have to submit an exit plan to LTA at least 120 days before surrendering their licence, up from 60 days now.
These operators will also have to notify the public at least 60 days before surrendering their licence, so that passengers and drivers have enough time to take cash out of their electronic wallets and transition to other platforms.
These are part of new standards that point-to-point operators have to meet so as to manage operational disruptions and reduce the impact of such disruptions on drivers and passengers, added Dr Khor.
Other updates to the regulations that will take effect from Jan 1, 2025, include an extension of the statutory lifespan of non-electric taxis from eight to 10 years to arrest a decline in the taxi fleet here. The frequency of inspections for taxis below three years old will also be lowered to once a year, from once every six months, to reduce downtime for drivers.
The extension to the statutory lifespan will allow taxi operators to spread the cost of the vehicle over a longer period, Dr Khor had said during the debate on her ministry’s budget in March.
This can be done since the taxi fleet in Singapore is “highly roadworthy”, with a passing rate on first inspection of 99.5 per cent in 2023 – higher than the 98 per cent passing standard for taxi companies.
In contrast, the inspection frequency for private-hire cars that are more than 10 years old will be cranked up from once a year to once every six months.
This is because these older private-hire cars had a passing rate on first inspection of 84.5 per cent in 2023, below the 90 per cent passing standard for ride-hailing operators. The more frequent inspections will help ensure that these vehicles are roadworthy.
The need for smaller taxi operators to maintain a call-booking system will also be removed, given the high cost and low utilisation rate.
Ride-hailing company Grab told The Straits Times that its platform has family-friendly ride options equipped with child seats for different age groups, and wheelchair-friendly options that can hold foldable assistive devices such as wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Some of these wheelchair-friendly rides are offered on vehicles fitted with ramps or hydraulic lifts.
All drivers providing wheelchair-friendly ride options are trained by certified care service providers in helping passengers with disabilities get in and out of cars safely, added Grab.
In November, it launched another ride option for passengers with foldable mobility devices, who require boot space for their wheelchair or scooter but do not need special help to get in and out of cars.
Ride-hailing platform Tada said it introduced a filtering option on its app in November, allowing passengers to view and select relevant child-friendly services.
In December, it will launch wheelchair-friendly ride options for passengers seeking vehicles with bigger boot space that can fit a foldable wheelchair, the company added.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now