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Taxicabs are a popular form of public transport in the compact sovereign city-state of Singapore, with fares considered relatively low compared to those in most cities in developed countries. As of August 2015, the total taxi fleet in Singapore is 28,572 taxis, operated by six taxi companies and 168 independent drivers.〔http://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/PublicationsResearch/files/FactsandFigures/taxi_info_2015.pdf〕 Within the country's ethnic Chinese population, taxis are colloquially called 德士 (déshì). Similar to Hong Kong, the name derives from the English term "Taxi". Taxis may be flagged down at any time of the day along any public road outside of the Singapore Central Business District (CBD). Issues of high traffic and demand in certain locations and areas, particularly in the downtown area and other major buildings and establishments around the island, require the building of taxi stands. As taxis may conversely be harder to obtain in less densely populated areas, as well as to meet the needs of time-sensitive users, taxis may be booked via telephone or through the internet for a fee, which is then transmitted to individual taxis via a Global Positioning System (GPS) or digital voice dispatch. In peak travel times, which in the evening starts at 4PM due to shift changes through to 8 PM it is virtually impossible to book a taxi, outside of peak travel times booking is advisable. During peak travel times, it is extremely difficult and not recommended to rely upon taxi travel, either travel out of peak or use other forms of public transportation. Booking during peak travel times can be frustrating, the system instructs the caller to hang up and await SMS confirmation - usually in peak demand time following a 7–10 minute wait the caller will receive an SMS stating that there are no taxis currently available and that they should try again in 10 minutes, this can be repeated several times up to 10 attempted bookings in an hour, at which point the caller is barred from trying to book a cab for at least the remainder of that hour. Stringent requirements ensure that all taxis are fitted with meters and are air-conditioned and serviceable. Drivers who fail to utilise their meters may be fined up to S$500, an enforced rule which brings fare disputes down to a minimum. About 90% of taxis have inbuilt AM radio communications. ==Operations== Taxis are predominantly operated by large companies, which require a Taxi Operator Licence (TOL) from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Holders of the TOL are required to comply with LTA's Quality of Service (QoS) standards, codes of practice and audit directions, failure of which the LTA may revoke the licence. As of August 2015, there are six taxi companies holding the TOL:〔 All taxi drivers in Singapore are required to hold a valid Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL) issued by the Land Transport Authority, after having met basic prerequisites and successfully completed a training course in the Singapore Taxi Academy and passing a theory test. Holders of the licence may then approach any of the taxi companies to hire a taxi on a daily rental basis, the rental rate and associated benefits of which vary among the various companies. As of August 2015, there were a total of 98,919 TDVL holders in Singapore.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Taxicabs of Singapore」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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