The NTUC Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit, together with the Pro-tem Committee which comprises representative private hire drivers, have officially registered the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) with the Registry of Societies (ROS).
A Voice for Like-Minded Private Hire Drivers
NTUC estimates that there are currently 6,000 to 8,000 full-time private hire drivers in Singapore. These drivers include those who provide point-to-point transfer services under key industry players like Uber and Grab, as well as those who provide traditional private limousine and other chauffeured services.
Since the entrance of Uber and Grab into the industry some two years ago, the pool of drivers providing such services has been growing rapidly. In November last year, a group of like-minded private hire drivers approached NTUC to form an association for this growing pool of drivers.
Mr S. Thiagarajan, Director (Strategy) of NTUC Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit commented “As the private hire market continues to expand and transform to meet the growing demands of commuters, we recognise the increasing need to ensure that this growing pool of private hire drivers are duly cared for, are fairly treated and can continue to grow with the market needs. Thus, when the group of private hire drivers approached us, we felt that it would be an excellent opportunity to reach out to this group of drivers who acknowledge the value-add that the Labour Movement can bring to them.”
Subsequently, NTUC helped to form the Pro-tem Committee which comprises 15 members who represent the different groups of drivers in the industry, and assisted them to register NPHVA with ROS. These members are drivers who volunteer to lead the formation of the association, and are passionate about bettering the lives of fellow private hire drivers.
Key Concerns Flagged by Private Hire Drivers
Through NTUC’s initial interactions with the private hire drivers, common concerns surfaced are those pertaining to the safeguarding of their livelihoods, workplace protection, professionalism and welfare.
Mr S. Thiagarajan added “Since late last year, we have been meeting up with various groups of private hire drivers. As it is, the common issues that are close to their hearts are those that are relevant to the sustainability of their livelihoods. While they chose to become private hire drivers for different reasons, 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.”
Mr Shawn Ng Youyi, Pro-tem Committee Secretary, is a private limousine driver. Sharing his views on the significant changes to the industry and why he supports the formation of the association, he said “With Grab and Uber entering the market, we saw marked changes to the private hire industry. Now, commuters have more options when it comes to transport services. There are more jobs for private hire drivers, and the regulatory framework for the industry put in place soon. 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.”
Going Forward
With the official formation of NPHVA, the first key step is to grow the association so that the voice can be a strong and representative one. NTUC will provide support in NPHVA’s recruitment efforts to encourage more private hire drivers to join the association.
NTUC will also work alongside NPHVA, to engage the industry stakeholders and the Transport Ministry to move towards a long-term goal of ensuring that these workers provide a high standard of services to commuters, are able to compete fairly, and are assured of a sustainable livelihood.
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