GrabCar, Uber Brings Relief to Decades-old Taxi Shortage

All the King's Horses and All the King's Men could never solve the critical shortage of taxis in Singapore.

For decades, you can see the look of frustration - some even bordering on panic - in the eyes of locals and tourists alike, as they stood in hour-long queues, or running up and down the road vying with one another for the scarce cab that comes along, all figuring out if they should pay the hefty booking fee or tolerate the one to two hours wait standing in line for a cab.

Then there is the constant "Change Shift" drive-by; the cabs which magically appear around the corner only after you activate the booking fee; disappearing cabs during rainy days; and the cab drivers who put the green sign on yet zoom past on their own errands. 

The scene still persist, but there is noticeable relief for consumers in the more agile alternatives of GrabCar and Uber.

Just hope that competitors rise to the challenge in terms of service standards, and not try to kill a good thing.