{
  "id": 14964935,
  "title": "No relief in sight – what's driving pricier taxi and ride-hailing fares",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/no-relief-in-sight-whats-driving-pricier-taxi-and-ride-hailing-fares",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/big-read/ride-hailing-taxi-private-hire-point-point-fares-rising-6461896"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In August 2026, point-to-point (P2P) transport services were 12.3% more expensive compared to August 2025. The main culprits for this price hike are fuel costs and Certificate of Entitlement (COE) fees. However, some operators might be justifying the higher prices by charging more, rather than passing on the increased costs to consumers.\n\nA few years ago, woodlands resident Intan McCallum used to pay around S$25 (US$19) for a ride-hailing trip into town. Now, she pays between S$30 to S$40 for similar journeys. Ms McCallum, a 20-year-old student, finds it hard to use ride-hailing services regularly due to the increasing costs, which eat into her weekly allowance.\n\nKelvin Ong, a Yishun resident, also observes a similar trend. Two years ago, the fares from his home to his workplace in Bugis cost about S$24 during off-peak hours. Now, they are around S$28. While Ong believes the price increase is reasonable due to the Middle East's oil prices, he thinks that private-hire platforms may not be as pressured to keep fares low as they were earlier.\n\nTransport economists and analysts argue that the affordability of P2P services is crucial as the sector complements public transport, providing transport options in areas not well-served and during off-hours. However, as P2P prices are determined by the open market, the government is unlikely to step in with subsidies if fares continue to surge, says Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences.\n\nDrivers also complain that rising fares do not necessarily translate into higher incomes. Although their incomes have risen or remained stable since the COVID-19 pandemic up to 2025, they claim that rising costs are affecting them harder this year. Fuel costs and platform commission fees have significantly increased, leaving little room for increased earnings. These increased costs are not reflected in the headline fare, but in hidden expenses such as rental or vehicle financing, fuel, platform commissions, insurance, and other operating expenses.",
  "summary": "The latest figures show that the price of point-to-point (P2P) transport services were 12.3 per cent higher in August 2026 than in August 2025. Fuel and Certificate of Entitlement (COE) costs are certainly to blame, but are operators also doing more to justify the higher prices?",
  "key_points": [
    "P2P transport services 12.3% more expensive in August 2026 vs August 2025",
    "Fuel costs and COE fees main drivers of price hike",
    "Drivers struggle with higher fares despite stable incomes"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}