Route Knowledge, Navigation and Fare-Meter Use
Route knowledge and the meter are one skill: getting the passenger there legally, safely and at the correct fare. Know the main expressways - PIE, CTE, ECP, AYE, BKE, TPE, KJE, SLE and MCE - together with the arterial roads and key landmarks: airports, hospitals, hotels, MRT interchanges and HDB towns. Plan the route before moving off. Where two routes are reasonable, tell the passenger and let them choose. Never detour deliberately; ERP charges are passed on as incurred, never invented.
The meter must be an approved type, sealed, and carrying a valid calibration sticker; check it before each shift. Start it at the flag-down when the passenger boards. The fare comprises the flag-down amount, distance and time charges (time covers waiting and slow traffic), plus applicable surcharges, ERP and any booking fee. Never reset, tamper with or 'adjust' the meter. Display the fare table. Issue a printed receipt showing the breakdown, taxi number and date, with distance where the meter prints it.
Traps: quoting an all-in price instead of metering; forgetting a location or peak-hour surcharge; assuming the passenger knows the route; and resetting the meter mid-trip after a route change.
Rule of thumb: state the route, run the meter from boarding to arrival, and hand over the receipt. If the meter looks faulty, stop accepting metered jobs and report it.