Not just blue and yellow taxis: ComfortDelGro boss reshapes fleet to drive profit turnaround

ComfortDelGro group chief executive Cheng Siak Kian said the firm is accelerating the diversification of its offerings beyond taxis.

SINGAPORE – Singaporeans may soon come to associate ComfortDelGro with more than its quintessential blue and yellow taxis, as the transport provider broadens its business by expanding its pool of private-hire drivers and diversifying its services.

The firm has stepped up the transformation of its point-to-point taxi business by finding new ways to meet demand from consumers and businesses here and overseas, Cheng Siak Kian, group chief executive of ComfortDelGro, told The Straits Times in an exclusive interview on Aug 14.

“The product that you will see is going to be beyond taxis,” said Cheng, who became CEO on Jan 1, 2023, after previously serving as the company’s group deputy CEO and CEO of bus and train operator SBS Transit, in which Comfort has a majority stake.

“What Singaporeans associate with (ComfortDelGro) in terms of taxis, that’s only one product.”

Cheng said customers could see shorter waiting times on its Zig app because its supply of drivers has grown.

While ComfortDelGro’s local taxi fleet fell 5 per cent from around 8,000 in the first half of 2025 to 7,600 in the first half of 2026, its network of private-hire drivers, who can take on other jobs, grew by 27.9 per cent to over 4,000 over the same period.

This came on the back of a shift in preference, with drivers increasingly wanting to lease a private-hire vehicle instead of a taxi.

“We are happy to rent (out private-hire cars). What we really want is to meet the demand in Singapore, particularly during peak hours,” Cheng said. “The more supply you have, the more you are able to fulfil the jobs that you can get.”

The firm has also started to offer larger taxis such as the Toyota Noah Hybrid 6-seater for those looking to travel in bigger groups.

In addition, it is enhancing technology on its app to offer fares that are attractive to both drivers and customers.

Cheng said the firm is also pivoting its point-to-point business to focus more on enterprise-level jobs, such as long-term contracts to take passengers with mobility challenges to appointments and sending children to school.