Singapore’s top taxi operator, is offering taxi drivers a new way to earn steady income – by becoming full-time employees with a monthly salary of S$1,800 along with other sweet perks.
Yes, kind of like a typical full-time employee.
This new move by ComfortDelGro is an upgrade from the traditional method, where drivers rent a taxi and pocket their fares after covering expenses. While this model offers flexibility, earnings can swing like a disco ball at times – similar to being a freelancer.
The pilot program, initiated through a job posting on 5 January 2024, introduces fixed driving hours – 11 hours if a driver works four days a week or nine hours a day for five days a week.
In other words, it’d be the the usual 44-hour workweek.
This trial will go on till the end of March, according to ComfortDelGro.
The Benefits
In a statement to TODAY, ComfortDelGro explained that this scheme aims to cater to the diverse needs of drivers – some seek the security of a stable income, while others value flexibility.
The company believes this approach will not only boost driver availability but also cater to customer demand, reducing wait times.
As part of the scheme, drivers will enjoy full-time employee benefits, including annual leave, medical leave, and Central Provident Fund contributions.
To add a cherry on top, a S$50 mobile phone allowance, and fuel costs (oh, well of course?) covered by ComfortDelGro are also included.
For those hitting daily key performance indicators, a bonus awaits, although the company has yet to release details on it.
CPF, KPI and bonus? That’s another day for anyone in Raffles Place.
Same Thing but Different
While this might be a first for ComfortDelGro, it’s not the first time this has been done in Singapore. HDT Singapore Holdings introduced a similar arrangement for its drivers in 2018 but eventually shut it down in December 2020 due to COVID-19’s impact on ridership.
Since 2014, the taxi population in Singapore has been decreasing, while the demand for private-hire cars is rising.
Drivers Refuse The Idea
Unfortunately, the joys for the new program aren’t high for drivers and many aren’t willing to hit the road with this new scheme.
In interviews with TODAY, some drivers expressed their disagreements stating that a realistic base pay should be a range of S$4,000 to S$5,000 instead.
They also noted that the risk of being a taxi driver is much higher than a cleaner thus found it unfair for the pay disparity.
Despite the looks, the company aims to hire an additional 50 drivers from this scheme.
But the fate of ComfortDelGro’s new plan will depend on the driver’s take-up rate during this trial period which will run until end March 2024.
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