SINGAPORE (Nov 26): Getting a cab may be easier from next year.

Taxi companies must have at least 85% of their fleet plying a minimum of 250km a day on weekdays from Jan 1, according to a statement released today by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). That’s up from 80% currently.

Also, no less than 85% of their cabs have to be on the roads during peak hours – from 7am to 11am and from 5pm to 11pm.

The requirements will be less strict on weekends and public holidays, with cab companies having to deploy just 75% of their fleet to meet the minimum daily mileage of 250km.

More cabs have been plying the roads during peak hours since taxi availability standards were introduced in January 2013, with the percentage rising from 82% in 2012 to 87% in the first nine months of this year, according to LTA.

“This translates to over 1,400 more taxis being available to commuters during these hours.”

Over the same period, the percentage of taxis with a minimum daily mileage of 250km has also gone up, from 75% to 79%.

The daily taxi utilisation rate, or the proportion of total taxi mileage under hire, has likewise increased, from about 65% in 2013 to 68% in the first nine months of 2014.

Also higher is the proportion of taxis on a daily two-shift system: up from 53% to 66% since the beginning of last year.

“This is a positive development as two-shift taxis are more efficiently used, and are available for commuters to hire for a longer period of time each day,” LTA said.

Of all the cab companies, only Comfort and CityCab have been able to meet all of this year’s taxi availability requirements.

Operators have to meet the standards for at least four months out of every half-yearly period before they can expand their fleet.

The changes are the latest initiatives by LTA to ensure cabs are readily available for commuters.

It recently started a one-year trial at seven taxi stands using a real-time system to alert cab companies and drivers when the queue or waiting time is long.

Since January last year, it has allowed taxi drivers to pick up and drop off passengers anywhere in the Central Business District except bus lanes and specific roads that all vehicles are prohibited from stopping at any time of the day.