Taxi Taxi !!!!

Managed to find time to blog and this time its about the Taxi drivers in Singapore. I have already written about Auto drivers in Bangalore, Taxi drivers in Malysia but this one is quiet contrary to the earlier themes on driving service for public. In my limited exposure to the non-Indian part of the world, i should insist and say 'The Singapore Taxi drivers were the best'.




Last week i got in to a taxi from office to home after hard days work. The following are the shocking facts about the best taxi drivers in the world ( i don mean the driving talent.. i meant the attitude and the system itself)



- The earning per day of an average taxi driver is just around 60$ provided if they drive atleast 11 hours a day.



- The average earning of the taxi driver in Singapore is around 2000$ which is below par for the cost of living here in Singapore. That too they need to work atleast 6 days a week forgeting almost 100% of their social life.



I know there are other hard working skilled workers who earn even lesser but my point is, in most of the countries the taxi/auto drivers are at their best in terms of earning against the hardwork which means pain to public. Contrastingly, the public here appreciate the Taxi service but the poor Drivers dont get much of the benefit from the govt. they deserve. The Tax and other statuatory payments are a overload for them and they are worried as most of the public thinks they earn bloody lots of money. Few of the quotes i heard from the drivers are



'People dont mind spending 10$ for a flipping coffee but mourn a lot about travelling for the same amount comfortably in an Airconditioned Taxi with the quality of service'



'I feel like am living a machine life driving all the time i am awake and still getting peanuts'



'I would have prefered to be in China selling Tea rather driving Taxi in Singapore where no one bothers about our welfare'

Singapore should hold the credit undoubtedly for emphasising such a law were at any point of time a Taxi driver should never ask for even a cent on top of the meter charge. No taxi driver can say 'No' for any destination in Singapore asked by public unless they are changing shifts. On top of this, the Service from heart is matchless. But Show some Sympathy for this Nation's Pride.


I dont know what i wanna achieve writing this here but I just felt they deserve more than what they are getting in terms of recognition and reward. I just need some space to say 'I Agree'.