Ferrying healthcare staff to and from work

Mr Aloysius Lee used to only transport passengers for Grab, but with more people staying at home because of the coronavirus, he joined the firm's food and parcel delivery services in April.

The 33-year-old is also a driver for GrabCare, a service dedicated to ferrying healthcare professionals to and from hospitals.

Congenitally deaf, Mr Lee communicates with passengers by typing on a screen or through simple gestures. This has led to heart-warming moments, such as when he ferried a nurse from near Singapore General Hospital to Woodlands.

"When we reached her destination, her husband came down and gave me a can of orange juice," he recalls. "They thanked me using sign language, and the nurse also lipped 'Have a safe drive!'.

"These acts of kindness are not necessary, but (these people) took the extra effort to make me feel appreciated, and made my day."

On going into this area of driving, Mr Lee says: "Covid-19 impacted my earnings as my income started falling even before the circuit breaker started. As most people stayed home, driving people alone was no longer sustainable."

His decision has put him close to the front line of Singapore's Covid-19 efforts, but he says he is not worried, as the nurses and doctors he drives "are professionals and know how to best keep themselves and the people around them safe".

As he lives with his elderly parents, aged 61 and 64, Mr Lee makes sure to practise contactless pickup and delivery for food and parcels. He also takes his temperature and regularly sanitises his hands.

He says he has received more tips from passengers during this period, despite the general economic hardship.

Grab says the proportion of passengers who tipped tripled between March and April, a trend that has continued into phase two of Singapore's reopening. The average tipping amount has also increased by 5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Mr Lee is driving today, as he anticipates higher demand for rides on a public holiday, but says it will not detract from the importance of the day for him. "(The National Day Parade) definitely helps to strengthen our Singaporean pride. It reminds us of the reason why we need to stay united to overcome this crisis."

He hopes things can return to the way they were before Covid-19, but notes that the crisis has altered people's behaviour for the better.

"Singaporeans are much more appreciative of the little things now. I know friends who do food deliveries who receive food and drinks from customers. I hope this appreciation for our job continues, even as we go back to normal."