Government Drafting New Standards For Taxis; To Introduce 'Ordinary', 'Deluxe' and 'Luxury' Taxis

The government has almost reached the final stage of creating new standards for taxis. The Department of Transport Management (DoTM), issuing a notice, has published the final draft of the new standard. The department is currently discussing the draft with all stakeholders and has also requested suggestions from the relevant parties by June 19, 2023.As per the new draft, the new taxis will be divided into three categories - Ordinary, Deluxe and Luxury, on different parameters. To differentiate between these taxis, 'O' for general, 'D' for special and 'L' for luxury signs will be provided.Ordinary Taxi: An ordinary taxi should have an engine displacement of 800cc and it should deliver a peak torque of 60 Nm. Similarly, the vehicle should have a wheelbase of at least 2300mm and a minimum boot space of 160 litres. In the case of electric vehicles, the vehicle should have a peak motor power of 30 kW or above.  In terms of features, the taxi should have front and rear speakers.Deluxe Taxi: To be categorised under 'Deluxe', the engine displacement of the vehicle should be at least 1200cc or above. Similarly, the torque should be more than 80 Nm. Similarly, the vehicle should have a wheelbase of at least 2400mm and a minimum boot space of 200 litres. In the case of electric vehicles, the vehicle should have a peak motor power of 50 kW or above.In terms of features, a deluxe taxi should have front and rear speakers, a touchscreen infotainment system, electric windows (front and rear), automatic AC, and a rear reading lamp.Luxury Taxi: To be categorised under 'Luxury', the engine displacement of the vehicle should be at least 2000cc or above. Similarly, the torque should be more than 100 Nm. Similarly, the vehicle should have a wheelbase of 2700mm and a minimum boot space of 400 litres. In the case of electric vehicles, the vehicle should have a peak motor power of 100 kW or above.In terms of features, a luxury taxi should have front and rear speakers, a touchscreen infotainment system, a touchscreen display unit for the rear seats, electric windows (front and rear), automatic AC with an air purifier, rear AC, rear headrest and armrest, cupholders (front and rear), rear reading lamp, charging facilities for rear passengers, WIFI, a minimum headroom of 1000mm and 950mm for the front and rear, and minimum legroom of 1000mm and 950mm for the front and rear.Fare: The fare for ordinary taxis will be set by the government. For deluxe taxis, the fare will be 20 percent higher than those of ordinary taxis. Similarly, for luxury taxis, the fare will be 100 percent higher than ordinary taxis.In terms of safety features, the new taxis should feature ABS with EBD, dual airbags, a high-speed alert system, rear door child lock, seat belts for all seats (front and rear), central locking, driver and co-driver seat belt reminder, and rear parking sensor or rearview camera.Similarly, the taxis should also be fitted with an LCD display with GPS navigation and a digital meter with a printer. Moreover, arrangements will be made to light green lights when vehicles are empty, red lights when not empty and white lights when off duty.