Taxi and private-hire car drivers will be able to continue delivering food and groceries until September next year, in an extension of a trial that began in March last year.

Current point-to-point transport regulations prohibit taxis and private-hire cars from making such deliveries, but these rules were temporarily relaxed as the Covid-19 pandemic forced many people to stay at home, resulting in a surge in demand for delivery services.

Announcing the extension yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said the trial has helped to supplement driver incomes, which have been hard hit.

"It also benefits businesses and consumers... as demand for delivery services, particularly food delivery services, increases," she said.

Since the trial began, an average of about 17,500 taxi and private-hire car drivers have carried out deliveries each month, she added.

Addressing concerns about how the trial will affect other delivery workers and impact the availability of taxis and private-hire cars, Dr Khor said there are enough point-to-point drivers to transport passengers, especially since many are still working from home.

Asked whether the Government is considering permanently allowing taxi and private-hire cars to carry out delivery services, she said more time is needed to evaluate the benefits and impact of the trial.

She also responded to the announcement that the Manpower Ministry will study how to accord more protection to workers who depend on online platforms.

While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cited only delivery workers in his National Day Rally, taxi and private-hire car drivers are also part of this group, Dr Khor said.

An advisory committee has been formed to look into strengthening protections for these workers, such as improving their retirement and housing adequacy, ensuring adequate work injury compensation, and allowing union representation.

The Transport Ministry and Land Transport Authority will participate and contribute actively to this committee, said Dr Khor.

She was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of 15 electric taxis by transport group SMRT's taxi arm, now called Strides Taxi.

The new cabs are the first of 300 MG5 electric taxis to be rolled out here by the year end. When all 300 cabs hit the roads, Strides Taxi is expected to be the taxi operator with the largest fleet of electric vehicles.

Early adopters of the new cabs, which have a range of 300km when fully charged, will get free rental and unlimited charging for 30 days.

They will be able to tap 140 public fast chargers at 80 locations islandwide, and can expect to save about $300 a month in energy costs compared with driving hybrid cabs.

It takes 40 minutes to charge an MG5 taxi to 80 per cent capacity.

Dr Khor also urged other taxi and private-hire operators to join the push to go green, and electrify their vehicle fleets.