Letter to the Editor | “As the sun goes down on the taxi industry, some adapt while others risk being left behind”

Dear Editor,

I refer to the report, “As the sun goes down on the taxi industry, some adapt while others risk being left behind” (TODAY, Aug 20).

For the sake of survival especially in this highly commercialised and competitive cosmopolitan city like Singapore, taxi drivers have no choice but to swiftly adapt to the challenges and innovation of technological changes, such as the emerging or new entrances of ride-hailing applications platforms: Grab, Gojek, Tada and Ryde.

Nowadays, making a decent living in Singapore is getting harder — hardest for any profession amidst minimum academic qualifications in the course of time, knowledge, skills, expertise, and experience required by specific industry, environmental and work pressures, demands and acute competition pressures from employers, peers, customers and same industry. And, taxi drivers or private hire vehicle drivers (PHV) are not an exception.

As I know, many private hire vehicle drivers, who are previously taxi drivers and at the average age of 60, they are zealously learning and coping with the industry-related technology and skills, so they can serve their passengers better and simultaneously make better earnings.

Anyway, costs of rental, fuel, vehicle maintenance, number of hours spent on the roads and health issues are usually the pressing concerns of the drivers of both types, and their immediate family amid the fluctuations or unpredictability of demand and supply of taxis and PHVD.

Teo Kueh Liang

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