Raising surcharges 'won't make cabbies drive longer': NTU

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/raising-surcharges-wont-make-cabbies-drive-longer-ntu-20131010

Increasing taxi surcharges to get cabbies to drive longer and pick up more passengers will have a limited impact, according to a new study.

It may not even work at all for cabbies who, instead of trying to earn as much as they can, only want to earn what they need. Once they hit their earnings goal, these cabbies, who are usually aged 50 and above, would rather end their shift, according to the 40 taxi drivers who were polled.

"Many of them do not need the job and are just driving to pass time... so long as they know they have reached the target income, they will call it a day," said Nanyang Technological University transport economist Anthony Chin, the study's author.

"No amount of incentives will get them to drive longer."