SINGAPORE - Taxi and private-hire car drivers will get more financial support in the wake of tightened safe management measures that are expected to impact ridership numbers.

The Government will extend the Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund after the National Taxi Association and National Private Hire Vehicles Association gave feedback saying drivers will need support after the current tranche ends this month.

Under this extension, drivers will receive $10 per vehicle per day for 31 days from October, and $5 a vehicle a day for the next 30 days.

The extension to the relief fund will cost an additional $23.5 million and is expected to benefit about 50,000 drivers.

This brings the total amount set aside by the Government for the taxi and private-hire car sectors to about $500 million since February 2020.

On top of the Government's assistance, taxi operators have pledged to continue rental waivers for drivers.

All benefits will automatically be credited to drivers.

Drivers already getting relief payouts will automatically receive the extended payouts through their operators.

Taxi hire drivers will continue to receive payouts in the form of rental rebates, while private-hire car drivers will receive the payouts through their e-wallets or directly into their bank accounts.

Drivers who have not qualified for the relief grant so far may apply to the Covid-19 Recovery Grant managed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

Drivers can visit this website for more information on whether they qualify for MSF's Covid-19 recovery grant.

Drivers can also continue to expect to have the income lost during quarantine orders covered by the Ministry of Health.

This is under the Quarantine Order Allowance scheme to mitigate financial impact of drivers, should they come into contact with a person infected with Covid-19 during their duties.