$4.28 Million Package to support Freelance Delivery Drivers and Riders under the NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme

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- Members of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Delivery Champions Association can apply for one-time cash relief of up to $650 -

Amidst a period of slow economic recovery, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will roll out a $4.28 million package to provide support to combi bus and limousine drivers who are members of the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) and delivery drivers and riders who are members of the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA). Eligible members will receive a one-off cash relief of up to $650.

 

The support is being provided to combi bus and limousine drivers in view of the significant decline in bookings during the course of the pandemic, and to delivery drivers and riders to cushion the impact of the recent petrol duty increase. 

 

The NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme complements existing Government programmes such as the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF) and the petrol duty offsets announced at Budget 2021, by providing support to those in more informal work arrangements.

NTUC’s Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE) will administer the NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme for Freelance Combi Bus, Limousine and Delivery Drivers & Riders which looks to benefit as many as 13,000 drivers and riders. 

 

We hope that this effort to support this group of vocational drivers and riders who have less access to other support schemes will provide them with some relief during this period of reduced bookings, and/or increased petrol duties.

 

To benefit from the scheme, applicants must meet the below criteria:

 

(i) Must have been making most of his/her income from work as a freelance combi bus, limousine or delivery driver/rider, earlier than 31 March 2021;

(ii) Not a recipient of the CDRF;

(iii) For combi bus (maximum 13-seater) or limousine driver – Is a paid-up NPHVA member and must be holding a valid vocational license; and

(iv) For delivery driver or rider – Is a paid-up NDCA member and must be using a petrol-based vehicle.

 

Applicants are also required to provide supporting documents such as proof of trade income, proof of vehicle type and proof of work activity and self-employed status.

 

For NPHVA and NDCA members who meet the eligibility criteria, the application period will be from 21 June 2021 to 16 July 2021 online at http://ufse.org.sg/reliefscheme or in-person at the pop-up centre located at Begonia Terrace at Downtown East. For in-person applications, members are required to book an appointment slot before going down. Applicants would be notified on the outcome of application in four to six weeks. Successful applicants will receive their cash relief in two to four weeks after receiving notification of application approval.

Drivers and riders who meet the eligibility criteria but are not NPHVA or NDCA members can also apply for the NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme by signing up to be an NPHVA or NDCA member. Upon notification of their successful application for NPHVA/NDCA membership, they can proceed to apply for the NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme online or in-person.

 

The quantum of cash relief that successful applicants will receive in relation to their NPHVA/NDCA membership commencement date is summarised below.

 

 

Category	NPHVA/NDCA members who joined on or before 1 March 2021	NPHVA/NDCA members who joined after 1 March 2021
Combi Bus* and Limousine Drivers (NPHVA)  *Maximum 13-seater	$650	$600
Delivery Riders using Motorcycles (NDCA)	$250	$200
Delivery Drivers using Petrol/Hybrid Vehicles (NDCA)	$400	$350

Easing the financial strain
 

Ms Yeo Wan Ling, NTUC Director and Advisor to NPHVA and NDCA, shared, “NPHVA and NDCA have been working closely with our drivers and riders on the necessary safety measures such as maintaining good personal hygiene and upkeeping the cleanliness of their vehicles, and training courses to build career resilience. In times like this where our vocational drivers and riders have been trying hard to keep their trade afloat and doing their best to make ends meet, NTUC will do our part to provide some relief for our members. Even as Singapore gradually reopens during Phase 3 (Heightened Alert), we expect that the economy will take some time to recover. I hope that this cash relief will help to ease the financial strain on our drivers and riders. The associations will continue to engage drivers and riders and provide them with the necessary support through this challenging period and beyond.”

 

Mr Mohamad Azan Bin Salleh, President of NPHVA, said, “We have heard from our drivers that their incomes have been severely impacted by COVID-19 and as a fellow limousine driver, I feel it too. Therefore, NPHVA has been continuously advocating for support to help our drivers tide through these tough times. Even though we have moved into Phase 3 (Heightened Alert), we foresee restrictions will take time to be lifted and business volumes will not drastically increase immediately. I’m grateful for the timely support from the NTUC U FSE Relief Scheme which will offer our drivers some relief.”