And during those long rides, instead of playing with my PSP or reading some magazine, i decided to strike up conversations with the taxi-drivers who brings me to my destination.
And it's during these conversations that i really understand how tough this industry is in.
Cabbies goes through a lot of things in their line of work.
1) Facing erratic passengers.
Firstly, i must say that there's really crappy taxi-drivers that does weird things that causes passengers to have bad thoughts of them (e.g leaving them in the middle of the expressways, touting, overcharging them by many times in the middle of the night, refusal to fetch passengers who are handicapped etc etc etc). But those taxi-drivers i'm advocating are those who are really good drivers, who are - normal.
They come face to face with danger with fetching every passenger, such as getting robbed. Ohoh, and a pet hate is where, their passengers try to act as the 'director', which at times i'm quite guilty of it. I guess such passengers will really piss them off. Not to forget those who go on the ride and run off once the cab stops.
2) Ever-rising cost
Since this year, the price of petrol oil has increased 2 times, and it's only April!
I had a conversation with a cab driver, where it went on like this:
*****
me: Uncle, u rent the vehicle right?
Taxi-Driver: yah
me: U pay every month?
Taxi-Driver: No la, the payment is daily, via GIRO.
me: Huh?? How much do u pay per day?
Taxi-driver: For my cab is about $90 per day
me: .....
Taxi-driver continues: U know ah, this $90 is just for the rental of the vehicle. Plus the petrol is est $50 per day. So each day my cost is $140.
me (in awe): HUH??? That means before u start driving, u already lost $140
Taxi-driver: Yah lor. I have to drive like 14 hours per day. I drive ah, must cover this $140 before the rest is my earnings u know.
It was in the evening time about 7.30pm that i sat in the uncle's cab.
me: Uncle, then how have u covered your cost liao?
Taxi-Uncle: Wha, i'll be in deep shit if i don't. I started driving from 5am this morning.
me (speechless): wha. Then how much have u earned.
Taxi-Uncle: Currently i have earned about $280 already. So in the sense i've already covered my rental charges for the day liao. So my earning today is $140. I need to drive another one to 2 more trips then i can go home and sleep.
me: Then u need to update your company on a daily basis, or if not they will deduct every day right?
Taxi-Uncle: No la. I rent it on a monthly basis, deduction is on daily basis la.
me: That means to maximize it u have to drive like every day, Monday to Sunday??
Taxi-Uncle: I drive 6 days per week, about 14 hours each day. Sunday i take a break. Even if i don't drive on Sunday, i still kena the daily rental charge. I not robot, i also need a rest day mah. i also need to spend time with my wife, bring her out to eat mah.
wha, Uncle is a family-oriented man, ok
me (in awe): Oh.. i see. Then how do u reduce your loss for Sundays?
Taxi-Uncle: I put aside $20 per day of earning, then Sunday i dont' drive, though i still accumulate the cost, at least already cover by Sunday mah.
*****
Looking at how this Uncle earns, let's do an analysis:
This Taxi-Uncle's daily earning is $120. Compared with an office worker who earns about $2,000 per month, the office worker earns about $90 per day. Good to be a taxi-driver?
On a monthly basis, the uncle will earn this:
Really sound good? Think again.
An average office worker works 8 hours per day. The taxi-driver works 14 hours per day.
An average office worker will have CPF contributions from him/herself and Employer. The taxi-driver has Nothing. Probably they have to contribute on their own.
Office workers will have MC entitlement, 2 days off per week. Taxi-drivers, sick, still have to drive to survive.
Not just that.
I figured that you are like me, that u are really against the 35% increment in the taxi-fares (yea, i heard ur continual cussing at the increase price), and you think that all the increment goes to the cabbies.
IT'S NOT.
They are bearing the brunt of it too. Because of this increased fare hike, the taxi queues disappear, where the drivers lost substantial income. Yes, it affected their livelihood the worst. And you think u are so miserable with this 35% hike. Esp in the morning. When they are driving you to your destination (because u woke up late for work), u think they are earning. They are on the deficit the moment they pick u up in the morning.
3) The bo-liao-est rules that restrict the taxi-drivers.
It's the rules about ONLY able to pick up passengers at taxi-stands in the CBD areas, which was declared recently.
A Taxi-Uncle told me how he was scolded by the passenger because he can only alight the passenger at the taxi-stand - and it was raining.
Understandably, u will think, "Yah lor, uncle should stop at the correct place. What if it's pregnant lady? In the rain??"
Wait. Have u considered for the cabby? While he was doing the favor, and lo and behold, a TP on a scooter stopped behind his cab. Who is going to shoulder the brunt (or fine)?
In as much as they want to , their hands are really tied.
So, do remember, in as much as they want to help, their hands are tied. So please, do not condemn them when they do not stop you at your destination in the rain.
Now, do u get my drift?
I'm not saying that i should encourage you to take cab everyday (it's not on my tab, gamsia). But in the midst of taking cab, do note that the rising deficit that you pay to the taxi-drivers, is much lesser than the taxi-drivers. They have to work their arses off to earn what u are earning, and spending much more time, physically and mentally to get their job done.
Do be nicer to them, because, They are your life-savers when u are rushing for time. If u want good service, give them the respect due to them.
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