Debated in Parliament on 15 Oct 2012.
Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport (a) from 2011 to date, how many cases of motor vehicles which caught fire on the roads involve taxis; (b) whether the Ministry has established the cause of such incidents; and (c) what are the measures put in place to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
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From 1 January 2011 to 21 September 2012, there were 26 cases of taxi fires that occurred on the roads reported to SCDF. In 21 of these cases, the probable cause was engine overheating, while four cases were likely caused by electrical short circuits. The remaining case was caused by sparks resulting from a road accident.
The taxi operators conduct regular preventive and corrective maintenance of their taxi fleet to keep them in roadworthy condition at all times. To ensure this, LTA subjects all taxis to compulsory inspections every six months.
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