Ms Tan Soek Hwee, 54, thought she had chosen a successful road for the future when she switched to being a cabby two years ago after 30 years in a corporate IT sales role.
She was seeking flexibility and less stress, and the freedom to take her ill mother for medical check-ups several times a month.
But the coronavirus threw up unexpected road bumps for Ms Tan, who worries about her monthly expenses. She says: "This period is really bad - my income has dropped by quite a lot."
On some days, she has been unable to cover rental and petrol costs.
Ms Tan, who is divorced and has no children, pays her mother's medical fees, on top of paying off her own monthly housing loan instalments and living expenses.
"Even though I have some savings, I don't know how long this will last. I've been very stressed," says Ms Tan. But now, her life is taking a new, more steady direction. This came about when she heard that ComfortDelGro was offering a package for cabbies to switch to being bus drivers with SBS Transit, on a fixed income. It includes a one-time sign-on bonus of $3,000 to be given out in three tranches.
Says Ms Tan: "I immediately went and applied. With the package, as well as CPF (Central Provident Fund) contributions from the company and myself, I can settle a big portion of my housing loan instalment.
"It has eased a lot of my burden. I can spend my income on my mother's medication and my living expenses. I don't want to be in debt, that's why I am really happy to apply for this."
Ms Tan is currently waiting for the results of her medical check-up before proceeding to the next stage, which is a 31-day training phase.
Although the job is different, Ms Tan is relieved that she can be deployed elsewhere, rather than be out of work. "I feel hopeful now. Before that, I felt hopeless," she adds.
Acknowledging the importance of being resilient during this time, Ms Tan says: "I have to be so for myself and for my family to be happy and peaceful. If I'm not resilient and end up worried and unhappy, that won't solve anything."
