Cabbies, private-hire drivers welcome support package, but salaries, job flexibility are key concerns

Another cabby, Ban Kum Cheong, 55, said the incentive will appeal to some drivers but not others.

“For drivers like me who are not earning that much, it’s good,” he added.

However, even if drivers wanted to retrain in anticipation of a wider roll-out of driverless vehicles, contractual obligations could make switching jobs difficult, Ban said.

The National Taxi Association executive committee member said most taxi drivers sign one-year contracts with operators, while some are under contracts of two or even three years.

Ending those contracts early can incur financial penalties, an issue that needs to be addressed first, he said.

Private-hire driver Carmen Ortega, 39, who has been in the industry for about a decade, said it is important for drivers to receive the incentives quickly.

She said: “Many drivers need daily or weekly earnings because they might be paying rental every week or even daily.

“So when cash flow is affected, it becomes a big barrier for people to start a training programme that will affect their daily life.”

If the $20 hourly payout is made only at the end of the month, not many drivers can wait that 30 days because their expenses continue to be incurred every day, she added.

Keeping training courses shorter and spread over a longer period or allowing them to be completed online so they can continue driving before or after classes were also high on drivers’ wish lists.

Raymond Tong, 51, was a private-hire driver for a decade before becoming a safety operator and remote operator for Grab after retraining.

Asked what he would say to drivers who worry autonomous technology will replace human jobs, he said: “I think human drivers still have a big part to play in transport.

“And humans will still be needed to manage and operate the AVs. My fellow safety operators and I are the ones getting the AVs ready for work each day.”

One way forward for drivers, he added, is to explore a wider range of jobs and re-skilling opportunities.

Tong said: “Besides offering safety operator or remote operator roles, there could also be opportunities in maintenance and software engineering. Expanding into those areas would appeal to younger drivers, too.”

Ang Li Wei, who drove a taxi for 15 years before retraining as a safety operator, said: “My years of driving have helped me anticipate real-world traffic scenarios and support safe autonomous vehicle operations.”

Drivers, she added, will benefit from more regular updates on how the industry is evolving, what roles are emerging, and the skills needed for them.

Ang said: “The sooner that drivers understand where the industry is heading, the more time they have to prepare, upskill and make informed decisions about their future careers.”

NTUC assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling said drivers have also asked for more flexibility in training, whether through flexi-time arrangements or expanded place-and-train opportunities.

She added that drivers are also looking forward to understanding what transition opportunities are out there which can translate into good livelihoods and career pathways – within the transport sector or outside of it.

“The tripartite partners are working on this now, and this will be a critical component of any transition,” said Yeo, who is also adviser to the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Taxi Association.

Asked what more can be done for drivers, Ortega said two things to consider are: a limit on the commissions that ride-hailing platforms can charge, and introducing a minimum base fare.

She said: “With higher fuel prices now, even with the fuel surcharge, it’s not helping. And I know consumers cannot pay more.”

She added that Singapore can consider following in Indonesia’s footsteps by capping platform commissions.

Loh shared the view, saying drivers want higher base fares and lower platform commissions.

“A slight increase will give drivers more comfort and trust in the operator as well,” he said.