Free taxi rides for SEA Games athletes and officials

Athletes and officials at this year's SEA Games will be offered free cab rides to get around Singapore, with organisers guaranteeing them at least 300 journeys a day, reported The Straits Times. The SEA Games Organising Committee (Singsoc) is outsourcing taxi shuttle services to cab operators here, asking interested parties to provide a fleet that can complete 10,000 trips between 18^th of May and 22^nd of June this year.

The Singsoc and Land Transport Authority (LTA) predict that about 10,000 SEA Games participants and officials will use the services over the 33 days before, during and after the Games, which will take place between 5^th to 16^th of June.

Organisers are hoping to avoid a repeat of the incident during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi when Singapore's 4x200m men's freestyle relay team was disqualified for arriving late at the competition venue. According to tender documents obtained by The Straits Times, cabs must pick up SEA Games delegates and athletes within 10 minutes.

Similar transport arrangements were made during previous major events. The taxi services will supplement buses and cars that will transport participants and officials around.

Singsoc and the LTA said that taxis will not be booked for a full day period or put on standby during the Games, and operators must still ensure an adequate supply of cabs to cater for public demand.

This means the taxi companies must still ensure that 85 percent of their fleets are on the road during the peak hours from 7:00am to 11:00am and 5:00pm to 11:00pm, and clock at least 250km daily on weekdays.