Smart cabbies get CNG rebates

Alvin Lim, Straits Times 31 Aug 08;

A new sweetener has been offered to the unhappy cabbies who drive compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis supplied by the Smart Group.

From tomorrow, the group will give its CNG taxi drivers a fuel rebate of between five and 15 cents for every kilogramme of CNG sold at the refuelling station it owns, which is in Mandai.

This is on top of the 12 per cent discount these drivers now get at the station.

The extra rebate will kick in only if the price of CNG at the station rises above $1.50 before discount. The current price at the station before discount is $1.71.

The Sunday Times reported two weeks ago that Smart's CNG cab drivers, upset over poor earnings due to high CNG prices and other grouses, had wanted to return their Kia Carens cabs without any penalty.

The other gripes were long queues and few pumps in Mandai, and the alleged poor fuel economy of the Kias.

About 15 of its 50 Kia Carens CNG taxi drivers had met with Smart's managing director Johnny Harjantho.

That meeting two weeks ago ended with Smart offering monthly payouts of $100 to the Kia drivers, over the next six months.

Smart has also started constructing its second CNG station in Serangoon last week.

But even so, not all cabbies were reassured. Cabby Willy Neo, 60, who has been driving his CNG taxi for five months, had told The Sunday Times: 'The $100 translates to only about $3 a day. How is this going to help us?'

The latest move by Smart came after 17 of the Kia drivers met the management last week for a second time.

Cabby Lau Kok Chiew, 48, who was involved in arranging the talks, said: 'The company is listening to us. We are very happy and appreciative.'