Organisers of contests for private-hire and taxi drivers must be ‘more responsible’: Drivers’ groups

SINGAPORE – Those planning campaigns and promotions for drivers of private-hire vehicles (PHVs) and taxis should be “more responsible and considerate of (drivers’) health and wellness” when setting up the parameters of such contests.

In a statement on Nov 27, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, adviser to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), said this is important especially as the festive season approaches.

“With the upcoming festive season where ridership is expected to increase, (NTA and NPHVA) would like to remind drivers to look after themselves, take sufficient breaks and pace themselves in their driving hours,” she said.

Ms Yeo, who is also an MP, made the comments in response to queries from The Straits Times about the online backlash that followed the revelation that a PHV driver had driven 22 hours in a day to win a privately organised Facebook driving contest.

Netizens pointed out how spending so many hours behind the wheel would put the driver at risk of fatigue, which could endanger passengers and other road users.

The contest organiser, Mr Shawn Lee, a PHV driver himself, told ST that his intention was to lift the spirits of the local PHV driver community, which he said had been grappling with rising costs and reduced incomes.

He acknowledged that he should have set a cap on the number of hours for participants in his initiative.

Ms Yeo said that on the issue of long hours on the road for drivers of PHVs and taxis, there is a need to consider both working and livelihood conditions, as their working hours directly affect their incomes, given the “flexible nature of their work”.

“It is crucial to strike a balance between earning an income and keeping good health, so that drivers can ensure their own safety and lives and that of the passengers,” she added.

There are practices in place to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers, said Ms Yeo.

Taxi drivers take breaks during off-peak hours – they spend about 10 to 12 hours a day on average on the road – and some might have relief partners, she said.

For the PHV industry, Ms Yeo added, the NPHVA has observed that electric vehicle (EV) drivers have more downtime for breaks when they charge their vehicles.

While EVs make up only 1.5 per cent of PHVs as at March, major ride-hailing operators have made green pledges in recent years.

Gojek in 2021 said it plans to make every car and motorcycle on its platform an EV by 2030, while Grab said in 2022 that it would transition its ride-hailing fleet in Singapore to low-emission vehicles by 2030.

Ms Yeo said NPHVA also shares road safety tips with drivers through regular dialogues and engagements.

PHV drivers, like other gig workers, are not covered under the Employment Act, which states that employees are not allowed to work more than 12 hours a day, except under specific circumstances.

Ministry of Manpower guidelines on preventing fatigue among drivers include recommendations to limit shifts to no more than 12 hours including overtime, and for scheduled breaks such as 15 minutes for every two hours on the road, though these recommendations are not mandatory.