Are private hire taxis killing a people’s future?

[chittychitty]

The article below was drafted in reaction to this report on ChannelNewsAsia: "Flexibility, being your own boss, decent income: Why younger people are working as private hire drivers."

There are some people who are against the trade of private hire for this reason: they think it kills an individual’s employability and retirement adequacy.

Devadas Krishnadas posted the following on his LinkedIn page: “These jobs (referring to gigs such as private hire driving) have no professional value. Even plying the roads consumes vast amounts of energy… yet these drivers refer to themselves as their own bosses.”

“In truth, the real beneficiaries are the ride hailing companies all gunning for blockbuster IPO listings. Drivers constitute a free labour force for which they have no responsibility or liability.”

“While a number of drivers drive on a short term basis, for an increasing number it is becoming a long term proposition. As time passes and they continue driving their employability get eroded.”

Devadas thinks that drivers are being made used of. That long-term exposure to gigs, such as private hire driving, would reduce their employability and eventually see them completely being wiped out when technologies such as driverless cars replace them.

More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2019/06/are-private-hire-taxis-killing-peoples.html

 

[laksaboy]

yet these drivers refer to themselves as their own bosses.”

So do the MLM zealots.

 

[AhMeng]

In 10 years time when autonomous cars become the norm, those young drivers in the 30s now will be in their 40s. They will eat grass, no career experience for other jobs in the market, except driving and have a severe shortage in their CPF accounts. They will realise it is too late.

 

[bic_cherry]

The article below was drafted in reaction to this report on ChannelNewsAsia: "Flexibility, being your own boss, decent income: Why younger people are working as private hire drivers."

There are some people who are against the trade of private hire for this reason: they think it kills an individual’s employability and retirement adequacy.

Devadas Krishnadas posted the following on his LinkedIn page: “These jobs (referring to gigs such as private hire driving) have no professional value. Even plying the roads consumes vast amounts of energy… yet these drivers refer to themselves as their own bosses.”

“In truth, the real beneficiaries are the ride hailing companies all gunning for blockbuster IPO listings. Drivers constitute a free labour force for which they have no responsibility or liability.”

“While a number of drivers drive on a short term basis, for an increasing number it is becoming a long term proposition. As time passes and they continue driving their employability get eroded.”

Devadas thinks that drivers are being made used of. That long-term exposure to gigs, such as private hire driving, would reduce their employability and eventually see them completely being wiped out when technologies such as driverless cars replace them.

More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2019/06/are-private-hire-taxis-killing-peoples.html

Certainly, by milage, these PHV and their high SES passengers are freeloading off government motor vehicle road infrastructure:

PAP gahmen lost $2.6 billion p.a. for failure to tax PHV cars by mileage adequately.

Isn't it a very glaring loophole that PHV cars are all freeloading on Singapore road infrastructure given the fact that they all travel 9x the mileage of a normal family sedan car?

At an average depreciation of $8000 p.a. and not even including road taxes payable, each PHV car is thus short changing government coffers of $64,000 p.a. every year based on their road mileage travelled. https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...p-petrol-consumption-in-singapore-say-experts

⁣Accoring to https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/private-hire-cars-outnumber-taxis-by-a-mile there are 41,297 PHV registered cars on the roads in April of 2017.

Given that each PHV car by mileage has short changed IRAS (tax authority) of $64,000 based on loophole of obsolete road use taxes policy, the total amount shortchanged by all PHV vehicles in Singapore would thus be up to $2,643,008,000.

The Singapore government should strive hard to recover this large amount of $$$ from the rich and wealthy people who like to use such private and bespoke private hire car chauffeur services and use it to improve PMD/ Bicycle use on the roads, of which they are currently being squeezed off the roads due to excessive congestion and dangerous/ aggressive driving habits of PHV drivers.

More people using bicycles will mean lesser strain on the public transportation system and a lesser need to provide concessionary travel and also public transportation subsidy vouchers to support poor people. $2.6 billion dollars should more than cover these subsidies and concessions and public transportation users who are already borderline poor, shouldn't be expected to subsidise their equally poor co-users.

LTA should charge all PHV operators like Gojek, GRAB car etc a levy tax of an equal share of their commission collected for the physical road infrastructure that the PHV use for their business purposes. Based on mileage and the profitability of business, this would probably somewhat make up the $2.6 billion in road use fees and charges by motor vehicles lost (if all the PHV cars indeed do the 9x normal car mileage and are not idling in car rental stores awaiting rental by PHV drivers). Some of these PHV levies collected can also be channeled towards treatment of medical/ lung problems in cyclist, pedestrians and PMD users because these PHV emit toxic air pollutants and add to greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the $2.6 billion could also be used for nation building, like the infrastructure and maintenance costs of MRT lines.

Spoiler

Poor depend on poor for help with concessions and public transportation vouchers:

AFFORDABLE FARES, SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The Fare Review Mechanism Committee Report 2013

http://mot.gov.sg/news/FRMC Report 1 Nov.pdf

Estimate of annual depreciation of car value in Singapore (mainly from COE, ARF amortization etc):

https://www.sgcarmart.com/tools_tips/depreciation.php

 

[Bacccarat]

In 10 years time when autonomous cars become the norm, those young drivers in the 30s now will be in their 40s. They will eat grass, no career experience for other jobs in the market, except driving and have a severe shortage in their CPF accounts. They will realise it is too late.

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Lucky for us, our K. G. biz is thriving.



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[Hypocrite-The]

Why the attack on PHV drivers all of a sudden? True the phv companies are evil. But why attack the drivers trying to earn a living? Instead of attacking the companies n getting them better conditions, they attack and criticise the drivers . These workers provide a service...ok all phv drivers quit...than all take taxi n public tpt becomes back to the good old days
..than see how these bullshitters suffer

 

[syed putra]

Just put yourself nude on instagram.its a new kind if career. I see couples doing this.and they are from tsiwan.just got themselves a baby.

 

[nightsafari]

In 10 years time when autonomous cars become the norm, those young drivers in the 30s now will be in their 40s. They will eat grass, no career experience for other jobs in the market, except driving and have a severe shortage in their CPF accounts. They will realise it is too late.

astute observation. hope they like grass salad.

 

[rushifa666]

Devedas was from spf. Stop quoting an obvious lackey

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Not only PHV Drivers.
Those food delivery too
See many youngsters doing that now. If students doing part time then still ok. If it’s a long term employment option then good luck to sinkies

 

[STUCK_HERE]

Yes but who cares

 

[laksaboy]

You are asking the wrong question.

The correct question should be: What future?

You can't destroy or kill something that doesn't exist.