(Adds details from statement)
SINGAPORE, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Singapore's largest land transport group ComfortDelGro Corp Ltd said on Thursday quarterly profits fell by more than half as it carried less passengers in its buses and taxis due to the SARS outbreak.
Net profit for the April-June quarter fell to S$13.21 million ($7.56 million) from S$29.48 million the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose four percent to S$429.60 million.
"With SARS behind us, the outlook for the second half, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is expected to improve. The taxi operations are expected to do better than the first half," it said in a statement.
In the six months to June, net profit fell to S$42.93 million from S$65.42 million the same period a year earlier.
ComfortDelGro was formed in March after the marriage of Singapore's dominant taxi operator Comfort Group and the city state's main bus service provider DelGro Corp.
The combined group has a virtual monopoly of Singapore's taxi industry with a fleet of more than 16,000 cabs, dwarfing its next major competitor, TIBS Taxi -- owned by rail operator SMRT Corp -- with a 2,000-strong fleet.
The firm also dominates bus services in the city state through its subsidiary SBS Transit Ltd , which had posted an 86 percent drop in second quarter profit to S$762,000 due to SARS.
SBS is a also a rail operator that runs Singapore's newest North-East subway line from June.
ComfortDelgro shares finished unchanged at 82 Singapore cents on Thursday prior to the results announcement.
The stock has risen 16 percent since the combined group's trading debut in April, while the key Straits Times Index has risen about 21 percent over the same period.
($1=1.747 Singapore Dollar)