ComfortDelGro to charge new taxi cancellation and waiting fees of at least S$3

SINGAPORE: Customers of Singapore’s largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro (CDG) will soon face cancellation and waiting fees of at least S$3 (US$2.33).

The new policy will be rolled out on Jul 31, but there will be a “waiver period”, said ComfortDelGro. Therefore, customers will only be charged cancellation fees from Sep 1 and the waiting fee from Oct 15.

The waiver period will allow customers to be familiar with the policy, adapt their booking habits and provide feedback to ComfortDelGro, it said.

According to ComfortDelGro’s website, a customer can cancel up to four rides per month if their driver has not arrived at the pickup point. A S$4 fee applies if they have used up this monthly quota.

If the taxi has arrived at the pickup point, the customer will have to pay a S$4 fee if they cancel. This is regardless of their monthly quota.

If a customer has not shown up at a pickup point for over five minutes after their taxi arrives, they will be subject to a S$5 no-show fee.

ComfortDelGro’s new waiting fee policy states that customers will not be charged for the first four minutes of waiting.

After that time limit, S$3 will be added to their fare for every additional five minutes of waiting, up to a maximum of S$9.

Customers using cashless payment methods will have their cancellation fees automatically deducted. For those using cash, the cancellation fee will be added to their next ride’s fare.

Waiting fees are automatically added to fares at the end of the trip.

HOW FEES WILL BE INCURRED

Additional scenarios where customers may incur a cancellation fee include when the driver cancels after waiting for more than five minutes at the pick-up point and when the customer’s suitcase exceeds the stated capacity of their selected vehicle.

According to information on ComfortDelGro’s website, drivers will only be allowed to cancel rides when they are shown to be at the pickup location according to GPS data and when they have waited for over five minutes.

“Our policies are in force to ensure that both parties are treated fairly,” it said.

Customers who feel they were wrongly charged for a fee can call the taxi operator’s hotline at 65524525 or use the in-app message function in the CDG Zig app.