By Ryan Chan
A new National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) has been registered on 3 May 2016 with the Registry of Societies. The association will provide representation, protection and a platform for private hire drivers in Singapore to voice their concerns.
The announcement of the association on 11 May 2016 comes as the number of these group of workers continue to grow in Singapore.
Currently, there are an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 full-time private hire drivers in Singapore. These include private limousine drivers, private chauffeurs and drivers registered under popular point-to-point transfer services like Uber and Grab.
A Strong Voice
A group of drivers first approached NTUC in November last year. With their help, a pro-tem committee has been formed, comprising members who represent the different groups of drivers in the industry.
Among the committee are Harry Koh and Shawn Ng, who will be the association’s president and general secretary respectively.
“The industry is evolving, and will continue to change. At the end of the day, I think most of us are just hoping that we can continue to earn a good living, compete on fair grounds and be able to provide good services to our passengers.
“I hope that by coming together as a representative group and working with NTUC, we can better champion some of these causes and allow the private hire drivers to thrive better,” said Shawn.
Key Concerns
Initial discussions with these drivers have brought forth concerns that the association will look to address for the long term.
Mr S Thiagarajan, NTUC Director (Strategy) of the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit, said: “The common issues that are close to their hearts are those that are relevant to the sustainability of their livelihoods. They all hope that they are able to compete in the industry fairly, and are able to earn a decent and sustainable living out of it.”
In the coming months, the association will look to promote membership growth and will come together to decide the best way to progress towards achieving their aims.
Progressive Step Forward
Following the announcement, a spokesperson for Grab, who will have one of the drivers on the pro-tem committee, said that "such representation is timely and essential, especially as the industry evolves and (the) role of private hire drivers continues to be actively discussed in the public sphere".
Mr Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab, said: Grab strives for a well-regulated and well-represented private hire car industry that will contribute to a healthy ecosystem of complementary transport services. The formation of the NPHVA is another progressive step the nation is taking to support the long-term sustainability of the industry, and ensure that the interests of (these) drivers are represented.
Source: NTUC This Week
