Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Here comes Chrysler cabs

From Sept 1, SMRT will be rolling out the first of its Chrysler 300C taxis (below) .

With a flag-down rate of $5, itis the most extravagant taxi here, outstripping even the luxury Mercedes Benz E-class cabs' flag-down of $3.20 by over 50 per cent.

To book the 300C costs $10, with the advance booking charge set at $20.

SMRT clearly wants to position the 300C - which many says resembles a Bentley - as a premium taxi that is a cut above the rest, driven by "service ambassadors" instead of regular cabbies.

The 300C was produced by the now demerged DaimlerChrysler. it is based on an old Mercedes E-class platform.

SMRT Taxis vice-president, Mr Lo Chee Wen, said: "SMRT believes that our Chrysler 300C taxis would offer corporate visitors both locally and from abroad a new choice of travel.

Meanwhile SMRT said that it would start imposing a 30-cent fuel surcharge for its compressed-natural gas cabs from Sept 1.

With the move, 11-month-old Prime Taxiswill be the only cab operators - identifiable by its bronze coloured cabs - that is not levying a fuel surcharge.

Prime Managing director Neo Nam Heng said the company will take another poll among its drivers before deciding whether to follow the rest.



Christopher Tan

The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2008
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1 comment:

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