Home > ST Forum(13Mar09) > Story
Too early to gauge new scheme's impact on motor claim costs
I THANK Mr Daniel Choy for last Friday's letter, 'Motor Claims Framework: Why no cut in premium?'
As the Motor Claims Framework was implemented nine months ago, it is still too early to assess its full impact on containing claim costs.
The General Insurance Association firmly believes that in the middle to long term, there will be a positive and sustained impact.
Already our member insurers have seen a significant 24 per cent increase in accident reports being filed since the framework was implemented.
We believe that such timely reporting will go some way in containing and curbing rising claims, a key determinant in the need for insurers to raise motor premiums.
To better assess the effectiveness of the framework, the General Insurance Association will conduct a national survey in May to gather feedback from motorists on their reporting and claims experiences, and make further improvements.
The issue of inflated third party claims, as raised by the writer, is a very real one.
The General Insurance Association is currently studying various other options to address this crucial area as well.
Mark Lim
Executive Director
General Insurance Association
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_349457.html
Showing posts with label General Consumer Interest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Consumer Interest. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2009
It's high time motor insurers put their house in order
Home > ST Forum (14Mar09) > Story
It's high time motor insurers put their house in order
WHEN I saw yesterday's headline, 'Motor insurance set to cost more', my first reaction was, 'No, not again'.
Without having to read the report, I could guess what the insurers were going to say to justify their impending premium increase. More accidents reported and higher injury claims are reasons which they cite ad nauseam.
It is the same old yarn: If insurers must pay out more, policyholders will just have to carry the burden - so easy to pass the buck.
After bearing the burden of increasing premiums for so many years, I would now like to ask the insurers whether it is time for them to put their own house in order.
For example, if there were rampant fraudulent claims, why are they not making a greater effort to bring the culprits to book?
Surely it would have helped to reduce the numbers if they had been more diligent in cracking down on such fraud. Could it be that because it is so convenient to increase premiums each year, there is no real urgency in investigating accident cases more thoroughly?
If my recent experience is any guide to the way insurers are conducting themselves, I shudder to think of what lies ahead for the motoring public.
I was involved in a motor accident early last year. I took photographs of the scene and reported quite comprehensively on what happened.
Then I told my insurer that on no account should they settle the case without referring to me as I believe I was not to blame.
Imagine my chagrin when I found out months later that my insurer had gone ahead and admitted 90 per cent liability without informing me.
But what takes the cake is this: My insurer had given the wrong location of my accident in the settlement letter but nevertheless, it was signed and sealed.
My attempt to unravel the whole nightmare is another story in itself but I will leave it until I have seen some light.
Sia Cheong Yew
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_349878.html
It's high time motor insurers put their house in order
WHEN I saw yesterday's headline, 'Motor insurance set to cost more', my first reaction was, 'No, not again'.
Without having to read the report, I could guess what the insurers were going to say to justify their impending premium increase. More accidents reported and higher injury claims are reasons which they cite ad nauseam.
It is the same old yarn: If insurers must pay out more, policyholders will just have to carry the burden - so easy to pass the buck.
After bearing the burden of increasing premiums for so many years, I would now like to ask the insurers whether it is time for them to put their own house in order.
For example, if there were rampant fraudulent claims, why are they not making a greater effort to bring the culprits to book?
Surely it would have helped to reduce the numbers if they had been more diligent in cracking down on such fraud. Could it be that because it is so convenient to increase premiums each year, there is no real urgency in investigating accident cases more thoroughly?
If my recent experience is any guide to the way insurers are conducting themselves, I shudder to think of what lies ahead for the motoring public.
I was involved in a motor accident early last year. I took photographs of the scene and reported quite comprehensively on what happened.
Then I told my insurer that on no account should they settle the case without referring to me as I believe I was not to blame.
Imagine my chagrin when I found out months later that my insurer had gone ahead and admitted 90 per cent liability without informing me.
But what takes the cake is this: My insurer had given the wrong location of my accident in the settlement letter but nevertheless, it was signed and sealed.
My attempt to unravel the whole nightmare is another story in itself but I will leave it until I have seen some light.
Sia Cheong Yew
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_349878.html
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Warming up to better service
"Less satisfied, however, were those who ranked Singapore's two healthcare clusters, the National Healthcare Group and SingHealth, near the bottom of the overall list. For instance, in terms of polyclinic service, they scored 60.5 and 64.7 respectively. With the issue of long queues having repeatedly made the news... "
'Queue' Mar08, Dec07, older/ source
Warming up to better service
First nation-wide index on customer satisfaction here is a start
Tuesday • April 8, 2008
Alicia Wong: alicia@mediacorp.com.sg
YOU'VE heard or experienced it all, the good and the bad that service in Singapore has to offer. Now, here are credible statistics to back the anecdotes — and the numbers paint a picture of a somewhat satisfied customer.
Based on a new, comprehensive measure of customer contentment, the city of the smiling Singa scored a "healthy" 68.7 out of 100 on the national average satisfaction scale. Other developed countries scored in the 70s.
A first in Singapore, the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) — developed by the Institute of Service Excellence (Ises) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) — includes the views of both residents and tourists, on eight key economic sectors.
Of the individual entities that stood out, the national carrier took pride of place. Thanking its customers, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Today it had invested "substantial resources in training" its staff to keep customers happy and was "honoured to have topped the survey".
Less satisfied, however, were those who ranked Singapore's two healthcare clusters, the National Healthcare Group and SingHealth, near the bottom of the overall list. For instance, in terms of polyclinic service, they scored 60.5 and 64.7 respectively.
With the issue of long queues having repeatedly made the news, consumers like band instructor Goh Koon Chuan, 36, were not surprised polyclinics fared badly. "Their waiting times are long," he groused.
While the transportation and logistics sector was ranked third, one of its sub-sectors — public buses — scored a low 64.3. SBS Transit said: "We are of course disappointed that we did not do better and this will definitely spur us to do better."
Most consumers were not surprised at the sector rankings, especially with tourism coming in first. But market researcher Eugene Fok, 25, did not expect telecommunications to take bottom place, while housewife Ms Cynthia Sin, 47, felt the scoring for public buses was harsh. "I depend on public transport, and I think it is quite efficient," she said.
While Singapore's national average is healthy, there is some catching up to do, said Ises director Caroline Lim. South Korea and the United States, which use the same model, scored 72 and 75 respectively.
South Korea had scored 58.8 when it launched the index in 1998 but has moved "steadily upward" since, said Ms Lim, adding that Singapore can do likewise.
Interestingly, tourists gave higher scores than residents did. Most tourists came from Indonesia, China and Australia, said Ms Lim, and when they compare against their experiences at home, "they would rate Singapore higher".
That Singaporeans could have higher expectations was also a "possibility". Even so, only 6.3 per cent of respondents had complained to a company at least once in the last three or six months — compared with the US' 14 per cent.
This could be due to US consumers being more vocal, or there being more well-established feedback channels and a faster service-recovery culture in the US, said Ises, which comes under the Singapore Management University (SMU). The key to customer satisfaction, findings showed, depended on how well a company handled the complaint.
The CSISG is an international gold standard based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, said Ises, which co-funded the $1-million survey with the WDA. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 10,229 households and 2,159 tourists between May 1 and July 23 last year. The survey took into account how customers' expectations and the quality of products or services affected their satisfaction.
Acting Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong said good service skills will become a critical asset and a competitive advantage for Singapore. "The CSISG is not just a barometer of customer satisfaction. It is a diagnostic tool that allows companies to understand, compare, improve and monitor their customer service over time," he said, challenging companies to score above 70 within three years.
The results will be posted at www.smu.edu.sg. Data collection for CSISG 2008 will begin in mid-year, and will expand to include other sub-sectors, such as insurance.
Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/247162.asp
2008 Press Release [7 April 2008]
ISES@SMU releases findings of Singapore's first national level customer satisfaction study
'Queue' Mar08, Dec07, older/ source
Warming up to better service
First nation-wide index on customer satisfaction here is a start
Tuesday • April 8, 2008
Alicia Wong: alicia@mediacorp.com.sg
YOU'VE heard or experienced it all, the good and the bad that service in Singapore has to offer. Now, here are credible statistics to back the anecdotes — and the numbers paint a picture of a somewhat satisfied customer.
Based on a new, comprehensive measure of customer contentment, the city of the smiling Singa scored a "healthy" 68.7 out of 100 on the national average satisfaction scale. Other developed countries scored in the 70s.
A first in Singapore, the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) — developed by the Institute of Service Excellence (Ises) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) — includes the views of both residents and tourists, on eight key economic sectors.
Of the individual entities that stood out, the national carrier took pride of place. Thanking its customers, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Today it had invested "substantial resources in training" its staff to keep customers happy and was "honoured to have topped the survey".
Less satisfied, however, were those who ranked Singapore's two healthcare clusters, the National Healthcare Group and SingHealth, near the bottom of the overall list. For instance, in terms of polyclinic service, they scored 60.5 and 64.7 respectively.
With the issue of long queues having repeatedly made the news, consumers like band instructor Goh Koon Chuan, 36, were not surprised polyclinics fared badly. "Their waiting times are long," he groused.
While the transportation and logistics sector was ranked third, one of its sub-sectors — public buses — scored a low 64.3. SBS Transit said: "We are of course disappointed that we did not do better and this will definitely spur us to do better."
Most consumers were not surprised at the sector rankings, especially with tourism coming in first. But market researcher Eugene Fok, 25, did not expect telecommunications to take bottom place, while housewife Ms Cynthia Sin, 47, felt the scoring for public buses was harsh. "I depend on public transport, and I think it is quite efficient," she said.
While Singapore's national average is healthy, there is some catching up to do, said Ises director Caroline Lim. South Korea and the United States, which use the same model, scored 72 and 75 respectively.
South Korea had scored 58.8 when it launched the index in 1998 but has moved "steadily upward" since, said Ms Lim, adding that Singapore can do likewise.
Interestingly, tourists gave higher scores than residents did. Most tourists came from Indonesia, China and Australia, said Ms Lim, and when they compare against their experiences at home, "they would rate Singapore higher".
That Singaporeans could have higher expectations was also a "possibility". Even so, only 6.3 per cent of respondents had complained to a company at least once in the last three or six months — compared with the US' 14 per cent.
This could be due to US consumers being more vocal, or there being more well-established feedback channels and a faster service-recovery culture in the US, said Ises, which comes under the Singapore Management University (SMU). The key to customer satisfaction, findings showed, depended on how well a company handled the complaint.
The CSISG is an international gold standard based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, said Ises, which co-funded the $1-million survey with the WDA. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 10,229 households and 2,159 tourists between May 1 and July 23 last year. The survey took into account how customers' expectations and the quality of products or services affected their satisfaction.
Acting Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong said good service skills will become a critical asset and a competitive advantage for Singapore. "The CSISG is not just a barometer of customer satisfaction. It is a diagnostic tool that allows companies to understand, compare, improve and monitor their customer service over time," he said, challenging companies to score above 70 within three years.
The results will be posted at www.smu.edu.sg. Data collection for CSISG 2008 will begin in mid-year, and will expand to include other sub-sectors, such as insurance.
Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/247162.asp
2008 Press Release [7 April 2008]
ISES@SMU releases findings of Singapore's first national level customer satisfaction study
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Double whammy for low-income households
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
Dec 10, 2007
Double whammy for low-income households
IN THE midst of the current discussion over the increasing rate of inflation in Singapore, one issue has been left out.
This issue is especially germane, since higher inflation affects the less-well-off in Singapore society much more than those who are better off.
I am referring to the declining real, as opposed to the nominal, interest rate, for savings in Singapore. The gap between the two is caused by the recent increase in inflation, combined with a stagnation in the interest rate offered by financial institutions here.
According to monthly data available from the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) website (https://secure.sgs.gov.sg/apps/msbs/interestRatesOfBanksAndFinanceCompaniesForm.jsp), 12-month fixed deposit rates of banks have averaged 0.92 per cent (over the last five years, that is, 2002-2006) and 2.05 per cent (over the last 10 years), 2.56 per cent (over the last 15 years) and 3.02 per cent (over the last 20 years).
The bank savings rate has averaged 0.31 per cent (over the last five years), 1.12 per cent (over the last 10 years), 1.52 per cent (over the last 15 years) and 1.94 per cent (over the last 20 years). The picture is similar for finance companies.
Annual inflation data from the SingStats website (http://www.singstat.gov.sg) shows that the average was 0.7 per cent (over the last five years), 0.7 per cent (over the last 10 years), 1.2 per cent (over the last 15 years), and 1.5 per cent (over the last 20 years). This year, it is expected to be between 3 and 4 per cent.
Thus, low-income households have suffered doubly in the current Singapore economy: their purchasing power has fallen (because of higher inflation) while their ability to grow their savings has declined. It is doubtful whether next year's increase in inflation will lead to any rise in interest rates.
In addition, while higher-income households are aware of alternative options for increasing their returns, such as REITs, ETFs and commodity futures which have boomed in recent past, lower-income households are unable to take advantage of such financial innovations.
It's a situation full of despair for low-income households - while they are asked to spend more time enhancing their skills so they can earn more, whatever savings they do have or put aside are steadily being eroded.
Harminder Singh
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_184770.html
Latest comments (#1)newsstorm at Mon Dec 10 07:23:30 SGT 2007:
Plus, the richest 10% - 20% people in Singapore enjoy doubling, tripled or four-fold increase of their fixed assets like private properties and commercial properties and many made millions from en-bloc sales. HDB dwellers don't enjoy this at all. The rich also have their transport cost lowered. Lower import tax and road tax lead to the low cost of absolute car price over the years, a Japanese saloon car cost about $100,000 more than 10 years ago but now cost about $60,000. But public transport costs keep on going up and up. It pays to be a rich person in Singapore but the poor get to catch up with ever-increasing costs of living.
------
(#2)CallMeKP at Mon Dec 10 07:48:37 SGT 2007:
Dear Editor,
This letter should have been moved to the PRINTED VERSION. As a public media, you need to continually highlight the plights of the suffering average citizens.
Thanks
Dec 10, 2007
Double whammy for low-income households
IN THE midst of the current discussion over the increasing rate of inflation in Singapore, one issue has been left out.
This issue is especially germane, since higher inflation affects the less-well-off in Singapore society much more than those who are better off.
I am referring to the declining real, as opposed to the nominal, interest rate, for savings in Singapore. The gap between the two is caused by the recent increase in inflation, combined with a stagnation in the interest rate offered by financial institutions here.
According to monthly data available from the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) website (https://secure.sgs.gov.sg/apps/msbs/interestRatesOfBanksAndFinanceCompaniesForm.jsp), 12-month fixed deposit rates of banks have averaged 0.92 per cent (over the last five years, that is, 2002-2006) and 2.05 per cent (over the last 10 years), 2.56 per cent (over the last 15 years) and 3.02 per cent (over the last 20 years).
The bank savings rate has averaged 0.31 per cent (over the last five years), 1.12 per cent (over the last 10 years), 1.52 per cent (over the last 15 years) and 1.94 per cent (over the last 20 years). The picture is similar for finance companies.
Annual inflation data from the SingStats website (http://www.singstat.gov.sg) shows that the average was 0.7 per cent (over the last five years), 0.7 per cent (over the last 10 years), 1.2 per cent (over the last 15 years), and 1.5 per cent (over the last 20 years). This year, it is expected to be between 3 and 4 per cent.
Thus, low-income households have suffered doubly in the current Singapore economy: their purchasing power has fallen (because of higher inflation) while their ability to grow their savings has declined. It is doubtful whether next year's increase in inflation will lead to any rise in interest rates.
In addition, while higher-income households are aware of alternative options for increasing their returns, such as REITs, ETFs and commodity futures which have boomed in recent past, lower-income households are unable to take advantage of such financial innovations.
It's a situation full of despair for low-income households - while they are asked to spend more time enhancing their skills so they can earn more, whatever savings they do have or put aside are steadily being eroded.
Harminder Singh
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_184770.html
Latest comments (#1)newsstorm at Mon Dec 10 07:23:30 SGT 2007:
Plus, the richest 10% - 20% people in Singapore enjoy doubling, tripled or four-fold increase of their fixed assets like private properties and commercial properties and many made millions from en-bloc sales. HDB dwellers don't enjoy this at all. The rich also have their transport cost lowered. Lower import tax and road tax lead to the low cost of absolute car price over the years, a Japanese saloon car cost about $100,000 more than 10 years ago but now cost about $60,000. But public transport costs keep on going up and up. It pays to be a rich person in Singapore but the poor get to catch up with ever-increasing costs of living.
------
(#2)CallMeKP at Mon Dec 10 07:48:37 SGT 2007:
Dear Editor,
This letter should have been moved to the PRINTED VERSION. As a public media, you need to continually highlight the plights of the suffering average citizens.
Thanks
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
HSA must banish trans fats
HSA must banish trans fats
Thursday • October 5, 2006
Letter from Heng Cho Choon
Mr Richard Seah's article "We know fat lot about trans fats" (Oct 3) should sound alarm bells in the minds of readers who were blissfully ignorant about the dangers of trans fats in common items like margarine and pastries.
In 2003, BanTransFats.com Inc, a United States non-profit organisation, filed a lawsuit against food manufacturer Kraft Foods, in an attempt to force Kraft to remove trans fats from the Oreo cookie. The lawsuit was withdrawn when Kraft agreed to work on ways to find a substitute for the trans fat. This brought the trans fat issue to public attention.
Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat formed when vegetable oils harden into margarine. It is found in foods like fried chicken, doughnuts and cookies.
Food companies are not all required to list on nutrition labels so consumers have no way of knowing how much trans fat is in the food they are consuming. So far, Lipton and Nestle have taken steps to eliminate trans fat in their products.
Cadbury is also considering doing so in the near future.
The Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) vision is to be the leading innovative authority protecting and advancing national health and safety. I hope HSA will ensure our local food companies do away with trans fats in their products.T
he Health Promotion Board (HPB) in its section "Health at School" says that it is concerned with children who are exposed to smoking, obesity, sedentary behaviour, myopia, mental health and Aids. Nowhere is it stated on its website that the HPB is actively promoting the removal of trans fats from the food our kids are consuming in schools.
Thursday • October 5, 2006
Letter from Heng Cho Choon
Mr Richard Seah's article "We know fat lot about trans fats" (Oct 3) should sound alarm bells in the minds of readers who were blissfully ignorant about the dangers of trans fats in common items like margarine and pastries.
In 2003, BanTransFats.com Inc, a United States non-profit organisation, filed a lawsuit against food manufacturer Kraft Foods, in an attempt to force Kraft to remove trans fats from the Oreo cookie. The lawsuit was withdrawn when Kraft agreed to work on ways to find a substitute for the trans fat. This brought the trans fat issue to public attention.
Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat formed when vegetable oils harden into margarine. It is found in foods like fried chicken, doughnuts and cookies.
Food companies are not all required to list on nutrition labels so consumers have no way of knowing how much trans fat is in the food they are consuming. So far, Lipton and Nestle have taken steps to eliminate trans fat in their products.
Cadbury is also considering doing so in the near future.
The Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) vision is to be the leading innovative authority protecting and advancing national health and safety. I hope HSA will ensure our local food companies do away with trans fats in their products.T
he Health Promotion Board (HPB) in its section "Health at School" says that it is concerned with children who are exposed to smoking, obesity, sedentary behaviour, myopia, mental health and Aids. Nowhere is it stated on its website that the HPB is actively promoting the removal of trans fats from the food our kids are consuming in schools.
Monday, November 12, 2007
DRAWN-OUT MOTOR ACCIDENT DISPUTE
SG law/ arbitration ctr that good?
DRAWN-OUT MOTOR ACCIDENT DISPUTE
- NOVEMBER 2004: Traffic accident involving Mr Lock's motorcycle and Ms Jessiline Goh's car.
- MARCH 2006: Case brought before the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre. Mr Lock awarded $188; Ms Goh ordered to pay $1,200 in costs.
- MAY 2007: Ms Goh wins appeal against PDRC ruling. Mr Lock made to pay appeal costs.
- JULY 2007: After assessment of costs, Mr Lock ordered to pay $63,000. This was later brought down to $45,000 upon Mr Lock's appeal
- AUGUST 2007: Mr Lock dismisses his first lawyer, Mr Andrew Hanam. Mr Hanam bills him $80,000 in fees.
- SEPT 3, 2007: NTUC Income serves writ of seizure on Mr Lock.
- SEPT 14,2007: It offers to waive $45k legal bill and to give him $25k as goodwill money.
Home Sep 26, 2007
Teacher rejects Income's deal
He wants court to settle status of e@dr Centre before second suit
By Carolyn Quek
ABOUT TURN: Mr Lock said accepting NTUC Income's offer would leave the problem half-solved. -- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
THE deal's off.
Primary school teacher Mr Jonathan Lock has turned down insurer NTUC Income's offer to waive a $45,000 legal bill and to give a goodwill payment of $25,000.
Instead, he wants the Appeals Court to decide whether an earlier court decision which made him ultimately liable for Income's legal bills still holds.
The turn-around has taken NTUC Income by surprise. Just two weeks ago, Mr Lock, 35, and his wife declared themselves 'overjoyed' at its offer.
Mr Lock's legal tangle arose from an accident he was involved in in November 2004.
In March last year, the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre awarded him $188 and ordered the other vehicle owner Jessiline Goh to pay $1,200 in costs.
But Ms Goh took the case to the High Court and argued that the centre - now known as the e@dr Centre - was not a court.
It agreed, and later this year, Mr Lock found himself saddled with a $45,000 bill from Income, Ms Goh's insurer, and an $80,000 bill from his own former lawyer, Mr Andrew Hanam.
He was waiting for a visit from the court baliff to seize items from his home when his story was made public on Sept 8.
NTUC Income, on learning the situation, held out the olive branch. Its chief executive officer Tan Suee Chieh said the case had been a 'misapplication' of its internal rules. The insurer also offered $25,000 to help Mr Lock.
Mr Tan had said it was the company's way of helping someone who had 'found himself caught in the middle of a protracted and unnecessary legal process'.
But a condition attached to Income's offer was that Mr Lock drop his case that was pending in the Appeals Court.
Now, Mr Lock has had a change of heart: His case is up for hearing on Oct 2.
He also has to appear in court two days later, on Oct 4, as Mr Hanam is asking the court to assess his legal fees.
Mr Lock, in turn, is counter-suing his former lawyer for allegedly inadequate services.
As he explained it, an issue of public interest was at stake: whether the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre was indeed a court.
Winning the appeal, said his lawyer Joseph Chen, would void the NTUC Income bill, and strengthen his case against Mr Hanam.
'Therefore the point of law will have to be addressed first to guide the court in its subsequent adjudication on Oct 4,' said Mr Chen.
Lawyer Chandra Mohan Nair from Tan Rajah & Cheah said Mr Lock's move appears to be a positive one because now the Court of Appeal is 'given the opportunity to clarify the status of the e@dr Centre - once and for all'.
Asked why he had been so delighted with the Income offer earlier, Mr Lock said that they were 'initally relieved' because of all the tension that he and his family had been facing.
But accepting the offer would only leave the problem half-solved, he said.
'When the offer was made, NTUC Income's CEO Tan Suee Chieh said that the $25,000 was for us to start our family. But, realistically it would have been used to fight another case.
'So I am taking up the appeal in the hope that the Court of Appeal will do justice,' Mr Lock added.
Income found out about Mr Lock's decision on Monday, when legal papers were served on its lawyers, Assomull & Partners.
'We are taken aback by the turn of events and are discussing our next move,' said its spokesman yesterday.
carolynq@sph.com.sg
DRAWN-OUT MOTOR ACCIDENT DISPUTE
- NOVEMBER 2004: Traffic accident involving Mr Lock's motorcycle and Ms Jessiline Goh's car.
- MARCH 2006: Case brought before the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre. Mr Lock awarded $188; Ms Goh ordered to pay $1,200 in costs.
- MAY 2007: Ms Goh wins appeal against PDRC ruling. Mr Lock made to pay appeal costs.
- JULY 2007: After assessment of costs, Mr Lock ordered to pay $63,000. This was later brought down to $45,000 upon Mr Lock's appeal
- AUGUST 2007: Mr Lock dismisses his first lawyer, Mr Andrew Hanam. Mr Hanam bills him $80,000 in fees.
- SEPT 3, 2007: NTUC Income serves writ of seizure on Mr Lock.
- SEPT 14,2007: It offers to waive $45k legal bill and to give him $25k as goodwill money.
Home Sep 26, 2007
Teacher rejects Income's deal
He wants court to settle status of e@dr Centre before second suit
By Carolyn Quek
ABOUT TURN: Mr Lock said accepting NTUC Income's offer would leave the problem half-solved. -- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
THE deal's off.
Primary school teacher Mr Jonathan Lock has turned down insurer NTUC Income's offer to waive a $45,000 legal bill and to give a goodwill payment of $25,000.
Instead, he wants the Appeals Court to decide whether an earlier court decision which made him ultimately liable for Income's legal bills still holds.
The turn-around has taken NTUC Income by surprise. Just two weeks ago, Mr Lock, 35, and his wife declared themselves 'overjoyed' at its offer.
Mr Lock's legal tangle arose from an accident he was involved in in November 2004.
In March last year, the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre awarded him $188 and ordered the other vehicle owner Jessiline Goh to pay $1,200 in costs.
But Ms Goh took the case to the High Court and argued that the centre - now known as the e@dr Centre - was not a court.
It agreed, and later this year, Mr Lock found himself saddled with a $45,000 bill from Income, Ms Goh's insurer, and an $80,000 bill from his own former lawyer, Mr Andrew Hanam.
He was waiting for a visit from the court baliff to seize items from his home when his story was made public on Sept 8.
NTUC Income, on learning the situation, held out the olive branch. Its chief executive officer Tan Suee Chieh said the case had been a 'misapplication' of its internal rules. The insurer also offered $25,000 to help Mr Lock.
Mr Tan had said it was the company's way of helping someone who had 'found himself caught in the middle of a protracted and unnecessary legal process'.
But a condition attached to Income's offer was that Mr Lock drop his case that was pending in the Appeals Court.
Now, Mr Lock has had a change of heart: His case is up for hearing on Oct 2.
He also has to appear in court two days later, on Oct 4, as Mr Hanam is asking the court to assess his legal fees.
Mr Lock, in turn, is counter-suing his former lawyer for allegedly inadequate services.
As he explained it, an issue of public interest was at stake: whether the Primary Dispute Resolution Centre was indeed a court.
Winning the appeal, said his lawyer Joseph Chen, would void the NTUC Income bill, and strengthen his case against Mr Hanam.
'Therefore the point of law will have to be addressed first to guide the court in its subsequent adjudication on Oct 4,' said Mr Chen.
Lawyer Chandra Mohan Nair from Tan Rajah & Cheah said Mr Lock's move appears to be a positive one because now the Court of Appeal is 'given the opportunity to clarify the status of the e@dr Centre - once and for all'.
Asked why he had been so delighted with the Income offer earlier, Mr Lock said that they were 'initally relieved' because of all the tension that he and his family had been facing.
But accepting the offer would only leave the problem half-solved, he said.
'When the offer was made, NTUC Income's CEO Tan Suee Chieh said that the $25,000 was for us to start our family. But, realistically it would have been used to fight another case.
'So I am taking up the appeal in the hope that the Court of Appeal will do justice,' Mr Lock added.
Income found out about Mr Lock's decision on Monday, when legal papers were served on its lawyers, Assomull & Partners.
'We are taken aback by the turn of events and are discussing our next move,' said its spokesman yesterday.
carolynq@sph.com.sg
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
ST: Aunt died of lung cancer from secondhand smoke
Good advice:
JACK UP CIG PRICES
"Higher cigarette prices may not convince all smokers to quit but they will deter younger people from picking up smoking."
Home > ST Forum > Story
Nov 6, 2007
Aunt died of lung cancer from secondhand smoke
MY AUNT, a non-smoker, died of lung cancer - her husband was a heavy smoker - and I applaud the Singapore Cancer Society and the National Cancer Centre for organising the inaugural Lung Cancer Awareness month.
I hope that more smokers will finally take seriously the health risks they expose themselves (and their loved ones) to, with each cigarette that they light.
On the other hand, friends and families of smokers must also understand that nicotine dependency is not only physical but also deeply psychological. Hence, breaking the addiction is immensely difficult for most smokers.
Yet, on their end, smokers must stop deluding themselves or give excuses to continue to smoke. They must not be afraid to stop. More needs to be done and I believe two measures must be emphasised, one non-punitive and the other punitive.
First, smoking-cessation clinics must be made as accessible as possible to smokers. The Health Promotion Board website presently lists fewer than 30 locations that provide such services.
General practitioners should also strive to persuade their patients who smoke to sign up with cessation clinics.
Even though such clinics generally charge a nominal fee, the services should ideally be made free-of-charge.
Second, there is still room for cigarette prices to increase. For example, a pack of cigarettes in Norway costs US$11 (S$16).
While the price increase may not convince all smokers to quit, it will definitely deter younger people from picking up smoking.
There is no other way to see it: smoking is a terrible addiction that enslaves people. Those who believe that smoking is pleasurable and relaxes them are really no different from crystal meth users who claim that the drug makes them alert and happy.
In a different time and a different place where tobacco companies do not wield so much economic clout and where the fatal health effects of smoking are known, few governments would have allowed the sale of cigarettes.
Harvey Neo Choong Tiong
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_174032.html
JACK UP CIG PRICES
"Higher cigarette prices may not convince all smokers to quit but they will deter younger people from picking up smoking."
Home > ST Forum > Story
Nov 6, 2007
Aunt died of lung cancer from secondhand smoke
MY AUNT, a non-smoker, died of lung cancer - her husband was a heavy smoker - and I applaud the Singapore Cancer Society and the National Cancer Centre for organising the inaugural Lung Cancer Awareness month.
I hope that more smokers will finally take seriously the health risks they expose themselves (and their loved ones) to, with each cigarette that they light.
On the other hand, friends and families of smokers must also understand that nicotine dependency is not only physical but also deeply psychological. Hence, breaking the addiction is immensely difficult for most smokers.
Yet, on their end, smokers must stop deluding themselves or give excuses to continue to smoke. They must not be afraid to stop. More needs to be done and I believe two measures must be emphasised, one non-punitive and the other punitive.
First, smoking-cessation clinics must be made as accessible as possible to smokers. The Health Promotion Board website presently lists fewer than 30 locations that provide such services.
General practitioners should also strive to persuade their patients who smoke to sign up with cessation clinics.
Even though such clinics generally charge a nominal fee, the services should ideally be made free-of-charge.
Second, there is still room for cigarette prices to increase. For example, a pack of cigarettes in Norway costs US$11 (S$16).
While the price increase may not convince all smokers to quit, it will definitely deter younger people from picking up smoking.
There is no other way to see it: smoking is a terrible addiction that enslaves people. Those who believe that smoking is pleasurable and relaxes them are really no different from crystal meth users who claim that the drug makes them alert and happy.
In a different time and a different place where tobacco companies do not wield so much economic clout and where the fatal health effects of smoking are known, few governments would have allowed the sale of cigarettes.
Harvey Neo Choong Tiong
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_174032.html
Sunday, October 21, 2007
What makes these two tick?
KBW stressed, looses his Karma powers... His wavering in the means testing issue is showing... Will he resign soon?
But who wouldn't with an unsolved $2.03B p.a. 'economic albatross' around the govt's neck; LHL's parliament's moral weaknesses, Ng EH's policy of weak subsidising the strong, the continually increasing rich poor divide, the pressure of such prejudices will surely make any dignified Health Minister jump to his grave!
May his Karma be strong.
- "In Mr Khaw's case, his spirituality is often cited as a key to his success."
- "last November, Mr Khaw dropped hints of retiring as he recalled how entering politics was never his wish. He had said this might be his last term in the Health Ministry, a "very meaningful portfolio" from which he would like to retire from politics. ..."
What makes these two tick?
Weekend • October 20, 2007
Christie Lohchristie@mediacorp.com.sg
EVEN in a centralised, collegiate and behind-the-scenes style of leadership like Singapore's, a few individuals do stand out.
They may not be seen as possessing the giant stature of past ministers such as Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr S Rajaratnam — yet. But the qualities of an agent of change, helping to shape a nation's future, are already surfacing in a couple of today's ministers.
One does it with his Zen-like nature; the other, with his business-like mien.
Beyond these qualities, what is it that makes ministers Khaw Boon Wan and Tharman Shanmugaratnam tick?
The two career civil servants were among the so-called "Super Seven" to have risen rapidly within the ranks — joining the Cabinet in August 2003, just two years after making their political debut in the 2001 general elections.
Since then, the two names have become synonymous with the national agendas for health and education.
Mr Khaw, 54, is a man fighting to keep medical costs low. Hence the online posting of charges by private and public hospitals to make it easier for patients to compare prices and choose the kind of treatment that best suits their pockets.
Then, there's the ongoing reform of the 3Ms (Medisave, MediShield, Medifund) — aimed at ensuring that Singaporeans will have sufficient enforced savings for medical contingencies — an issue which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once said Mr Khaw "lives and sleeps with every day".
In education, Mr Shanmugaratnam, 49, has tackled areas that have long troubled parents and their children. Among the lauded efforts to make education less rote and less based on academic results are the scrapping of the 29-year-old system of primary school streaming and the introduction of more fun ways to learn the Chinese language.
In short, what the two men set in motion concerns everyone from the cradle to the grave.
"It is the importance of the ministry that defines the importance of the man," said political scientist Ho Khai Leong from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
While health and education are big issues in any country, they have become major preoccupations in Singapore, where concerns over affordable health care for the elderly have grown in tandem with the ever-growing number of senior citizens; and where education is seen as the key to keeping Singapore a step ahead of competitors who are catching up faster than ever.
But while the portfolios in themselves are high profile, the leaders put in charge have also certainly excelled in their jobs, observers said.
"They answered the call," Assoc Prof Ho said of Mr Khaw and Mr Shanmugaratnam, who became Senior Ministers of State immediately after the 2001 elections. "They are meticulous, knowing the details of the issues."
Such understanding is seen as closely linked to two things: The individual's mental agility and his pre-politics experience in policy-making.
During Mr Khaw's 23 years as a civil servant, he spent 14 years in the Ministry of Health (MOH). There, he had conceived the idea of Medisave in 1983 when he was an administrative service officer working for then-Health Minister Goh Chok Tong, said a former colleague.
After that, the high-flier went on from 1985 to 1992 to head three hospitals: National University Hospital, Kandang Kerbau Hospital (now known as KK Women's and Children's Hospital) and Singapore General Hospital.
While the engineer-trained Colombo Plan scholar had never expected such a healthcare-centred career, the experience has certainly revealed his flexibility and given him the "intimate knowledge" necessary for him to "make things happen" as Health Minister, said an industry insider.
The experience probably also played a big part in imparting the necessary confidence to act firmly as minister.
Looking at his track record in MOH, it wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to say that Mr Khaw had impressed Mr Goh enough to be invited to join the 2001 campaigning team of Singapore's second Prime Minister.
For Mr Shanmugaratnam, his career at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) provided him with a similar opportunity to prove his mettle to another future Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
The MAS was where Mr Shanmugaratnam, a London School of Economics graduate, spent nearly his entire professional life, working as an economist. It was only from 1995 to 1997 that he hopped over to the Education Ministry as its Deputy Secretary (Policy).
So, although he had not spent much time in education circles, Mr Shanmugaratnam was, like Mr Khaw, an old hand at crafting big plans for the nation.
The chance to shine before one of the country's top men came in 1997 when Mr Shanmugaratnam returned to MAS at a higher position than before: Deputy managing director. It was from then that he had ample opportunities to work with and impress Mr Lee, who was Deputy Prime Minister at the time and concurrently appointed head of MAS in 1998.
Mr Shanmugaratnam was later promoted to managing director and then invited to join the People's Action Party.
Prof Ho believes Mr Shanmugaratnam's "professorial" quality is one reason why he has been an effective Education Minister — he is able to break down complex issues and policies such that the public understands him. It is a trait that Mr Khaw shares, Prof Ho said.
Another of Mr Shanmugaratnam's strong points is the "ability to empathise with the anxieties, concerns and aspirations of the people", noted Mr Viswa Sadasivan, chief executive of public relations firm Strategic Moves.
Such empathy may have something to do with the fact that this is one minister who knows what it is like to be on the wrong side of the law.
In 1992, Mr Shanmugaratnam, an MAS economist at the time, came under intense public scrutiny when he was charged for breaching the Official Secrets Act. Because he had brought a confidential report — containing an advance estimate of Singapore's quarterly economic growth — into a meeting with journalists who went on to publish the figure ahead of its official release, the courts fined him $1,500 in 1994.
"All these experiences have made him a well-rounded person," said Mr Viswa.
In Mr Khaw's case, his spirituality is often cited as a key to his success.
Several commentators have said before that the Buddhist never appears ruffled. He is always calm and, like Senior Minister Goh, is able to connect with people on a grassroots level.
Mr Viswa puts it down to the Zen belief that people on the ground should be treated with fairness and dignity, thus lending Mr Khaw a certain "moral courage" to act.
Perhaps, Mr Khaw's readiness to act — in terms of pushing for far-reaching changes in Singapore's health landscape — may also be related to his desire to retire from politics sooner, rather than later.
In a Today interview last November, Mr Khaw dropped hints of retiring as he recalled how entering politics was never his wish.
He had said this might be his last term in the Health Ministry, a "very meaningful portfolio" from which he would like to retire from politics.
And for a minister, what can be more meaningful than to put in place reforms that would benefit the whole nation long after he is gone?
No matter when he makes his exit, there is little doubt that Mr Khaw has left his mark in the ministry. Ditto for Mr Shanmugaratnam.
But for all their outstanding performances, one thing should not be forgotten: That no minister, or his ministry, is an island.
As Prime Minister Lee once said, his Cabinet is "a collegiate team", where ministers jointly work on issues, such as dengue or labour, which touch their portfolios.
At the same time, those who oversee ministries that deal with more sensitive information, such as Home Affairs and Defence, may be less in the public eye, but they too are making big contributions behind the scenes, said political commentator Zulkifli Baharudin.
The businessman and former Nominated Member of Parliament added : "The Singapore system emphasises less on personality."
Except that of the Prime Minister.
Said Assoc Prof Ho: "PM is the first among equals. He's the one making policy and the rest are overshadowed by his presence." Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved http://www.todayonline.com/articles/217671.asp
Singapore's Rich-Poor Divide
HOW COME THE RICH-POOR DIVIDE DOES NOT CLOSE DESPITE BEING THERE BEFORE AND CORRECTING THE PROBLEM? WHAT ARE WE MISSING?
Singapore Swing
The island's economy is booming. So why are so many citizens worse off than they were 10 years ago?
- Singapore's Rich-Poor Divide
By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop (Newsweek International)
Jan. 29, 2007 issue - Tiny Singapore, with its population of 4.3 million, is often lauded for the way it has embraced globalization to maximum advantage. In the last decade, the city-state has opened its doors wide to foreign investment and talent, slashed corporate taxes, offered incentives to nurture strategic industries (such as biotech, pharmaceuticals and financial services) and cut free-trade deals with a host of other countries. The payoff has seemed clear: over the past three years, Singapore's economy has averaged 7.6 percent growth—a staggering pace for an industrialized state—and created new jobs at a rate any European government would envy.
There's only one problem: average citizens have yet to reap the benefits. New statistics reveal that middle-class households have tasted none of Singapore's spectacular growth, and that the island's poorest 30 percent are worse off than they were five years ago. "Although we have seen very strong growth, we're experiencing this new phenomenon of median real-wage stagnation and low-income decline," says Yeoh Lam Keong, vice president of the Economic Society of Singapore. This predicament is hardly unique. Wages and salaries are stagnating across the industrial world. What's surprising is that even a country famous for its smart and transparent leadership has been unable to prevent the gains of globalization from flowing mostly to rich individuals and multinational corporations. In its bid to adapt Singapore's economy to international competition, the government has tried hard to reduce business costs. This has meant slashing labor prices, which has helped push wages down. According to official figures, over the past five years Singapore's wealthiest 10 percent have seen their income rise by 2.3 percent annually (and that doesn't include nonwage earnings such as capital gains or dividends). At the same time, the poorest 10 percent have suffered a staggering 4.3 percent drop in their salaries each year. The government has also allowed employers to cut their contributions to Singapore's Central Provident Fund, which pays for pensions, public housing, medical expenses and educatn on.
Together, these factors have led to lower-than-expected private consumption, which has risen by just 3 percent in the past two years. "Private consumer spending has been the weak link in this current expansion," says Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Citigroup Global Markets in Singapore. This has, in turn, stung Singapore's large retail sector. "It is evident that [they] are not the big winners from high growth," says Manu Bhaskaran, a director of the U.S.-based Centennial Group.
Foreign competition is also hurting. Contractor Tan Boon Soo is one of many Singaporeans feeling the pinch. He installs windows for a living but laments "cutthroat competition" from contract laborers, who have flooded the island from places such as Indonesia and Bangladesh. Unskilled workers like street sweepers and security guards are also finding themselves undercut by immigrants willing to work for less. This is forcing native Singaporeans to change occupations or work harder for less money. "They talk about growth, but I don't see it," says Tan. "Maybe the bankers are doing well, but construction has not been. I'm worse off now than I was in 1997."
All this could spell big trouble. "If these trends continue unchecked," warns Yeoh, "we could begin to get the formation of an underclass [and] the makings of social instability." Such an underclass was never part of Singapore's grand plan. Now its leaders must figure out how to prevent one from emerging without relying on the kind of welfare programs they often deride. Last year the government launched an experimental workfare program that gave low-wage earners bonus pay of up to $780. Now Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's government is con- sidering making the program permanent in an effort to thin the ranks of the working poor.
"We will try out different forms, but the principle will be the same—help yourself [and] we will help you," the prime minister told lawmakers last November. "It's essential for us to tilt the balance in favor of lower-income Singaporeans because globalization is going to strain our social compact."
Lee has already announced that he'll make Singapore's rich-poor divide a major focus of his annual budget speech next month.
If knowing is half the battle, it could be an important first step.
© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.
http://www.lopn.net/ST_Casestudy22_Richpoor.html
Singapore Swing
The island's economy is booming. So why are so many citizens worse off than they were 10 years ago?
- Singapore's Rich-Poor Divide
By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop (Newsweek International)
Jan. 29, 2007 issue - Tiny Singapore, with its population of 4.3 million, is often lauded for the way it has embraced globalization to maximum advantage. In the last decade, the city-state has opened its doors wide to foreign investment and talent, slashed corporate taxes, offered incentives to nurture strategic industries (such as biotech, pharmaceuticals and financial services) and cut free-trade deals with a host of other countries. The payoff has seemed clear: over the past three years, Singapore's economy has averaged 7.6 percent growth—a staggering pace for an industrialized state—and created new jobs at a rate any European government would envy.
There's only one problem: average citizens have yet to reap the benefits. New statistics reveal that middle-class households have tasted none of Singapore's spectacular growth, and that the island's poorest 30 percent are worse off than they were five years ago. "Although we have seen very strong growth, we're experiencing this new phenomenon of median real-wage stagnation and low-income decline," says Yeoh Lam Keong, vice president of the Economic Society of Singapore. This predicament is hardly unique. Wages and salaries are stagnating across the industrial world. What's surprising is that even a country famous for its smart and transparent leadership has been unable to prevent the gains of globalization from flowing mostly to rich individuals and multinational corporations. In its bid to adapt Singapore's economy to international competition, the government has tried hard to reduce business costs. This has meant slashing labor prices, which has helped push wages down. According to official figures, over the past five years Singapore's wealthiest 10 percent have seen their income rise by 2.3 percent annually (and that doesn't include nonwage earnings such as capital gains or dividends). At the same time, the poorest 10 percent have suffered a staggering 4.3 percent drop in their salaries each year. The government has also allowed employers to cut their contributions to Singapore's Central Provident Fund, which pays for pensions, public housing, medical expenses and educatn on.
Together, these factors have led to lower-than-expected private consumption, which has risen by just 3 percent in the past two years. "Private consumer spending has been the weak link in this current expansion," says Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Citigroup Global Markets in Singapore. This has, in turn, stung Singapore's large retail sector. "It is evident that [they] are not the big winners from high growth," says Manu Bhaskaran, a director of the U.S.-based Centennial Group.
Foreign competition is also hurting. Contractor Tan Boon Soo is one of many Singaporeans feeling the pinch. He installs windows for a living but laments "cutthroat competition" from contract laborers, who have flooded the island from places such as Indonesia and Bangladesh. Unskilled workers like street sweepers and security guards are also finding themselves undercut by immigrants willing to work for less. This is forcing native Singaporeans to change occupations or work harder for less money. "They talk about growth, but I don't see it," says Tan. "Maybe the bankers are doing well, but construction has not been. I'm worse off now than I was in 1997."
All this could spell big trouble. "If these trends continue unchecked," warns Yeoh, "we could begin to get the formation of an underclass [and] the makings of social instability." Such an underclass was never part of Singapore's grand plan. Now its leaders must figure out how to prevent one from emerging without relying on the kind of welfare programs they often deride. Last year the government launched an experimental workfare program that gave low-wage earners bonus pay of up to $780. Now Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's government is con- sidering making the program permanent in an effort to thin the ranks of the working poor.
"We will try out different forms, but the principle will be the same—help yourself [and] we will help you," the prime minister told lawmakers last November. "It's essential for us to tilt the balance in favor of lower-income Singaporeans because globalization is going to strain our social compact."
Lee has already announced that he'll make Singapore's rich-poor divide a major focus of his annual budget speech next month.
If knowing is half the battle, it could be an important first step.
© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.
http://www.lopn.net/ST_Casestudy22_Richpoor.html
Overcharged by cabbies twice in a week
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
Oct 18, 2007
Overcharged by cabbies twice in a week
ON OCT 6, I took a Comfort taxi from Marina Bay outside Superbowl Country Club to Tagore Avenue.
The driver told me that he would use the PIE and pass by Yio Chu Kang. The fare was $24.60, including peak hour surcharge.
But just last week, around the same time and at the same location, the journey in a Transcab taxi cost me less than $15, including peak hour surcharge.
I called Comfort to lodge a complaint. The following week, somebody called me to say that the driver had been given a warning. I was slightly appeased.
But to my dismay, on Oct 16 at 6.19pm, I boarded a Comfort cab - this time, I was going from Tagore Ave to Compassvale Crescent Block 295A.
The driver used a route unfamiliar to me, so I asked him whether he knew the way. He assured me that he knew the place and told me it was a short cut.
Upon reaching somewhere near the Layar LRT station, he asked me if I knew the way. How could he claim earlier that he knew where he was going? Eventually, after circling around the area for a while, he reached the destination.
The total fare was $10.80, including peak-hour surcharge. The same journey previously cost me only $8.
Yes, two cabs can get to the same place in the end but what consumers are looking for is a cheaper and faster journey to our destination.
Warning the drivers is one thing, but we have already been overcharged.
Chen Zhenzuan (Miss)
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Online+Story/STIStory_167944.html
Oct 18, 2007
Overcharged by cabbies twice in a week
ON OCT 6, I took a Comfort taxi from Marina Bay outside Superbowl Country Club to Tagore Avenue.
The driver told me that he would use the PIE and pass by Yio Chu Kang. The fare was $24.60, including peak hour surcharge.
But just last week, around the same time and at the same location, the journey in a Transcab taxi cost me less than $15, including peak hour surcharge.
I called Comfort to lodge a complaint. The following week, somebody called me to say that the driver had been given a warning. I was slightly appeased.
But to my dismay, on Oct 16 at 6.19pm, I boarded a Comfort cab - this time, I was going from Tagore Ave to Compassvale Crescent Block 295A.
The driver used a route unfamiliar to me, so I asked him whether he knew the way. He assured me that he knew the place and told me it was a short cut.
Upon reaching somewhere near the Layar LRT station, he asked me if I knew the way. How could he claim earlier that he knew where he was going? Eventually, after circling around the area for a while, he reached the destination.
The total fare was $10.80, including peak-hour surcharge. The same journey previously cost me only $8.
Yes, two cabs can get to the same place in the end but what consumers are looking for is a cheaper and faster journey to our destination.
Warning the drivers is one thing, but we have already been overcharged.
Chen Zhenzuan (Miss)
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Online+Story/STIStory_167944.html
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