News| ‘Have a life besides driving’: Death of private-hire driver a wake-up call, say those in industry

[verynormalguy]

i took a gojek about 4 years ago to collect my car from workshop. i still remember the conversation until today. driver face super tanned probably with all the sun in his face. but despite being so tanned, still can see very dark panda eyes.

he say one day drive 15 to 18 hours a day sleep abt 5hrs a day. he is divorced no kids. totally no life besides drive/ shower/ eat/ sleep. he say he likes to read comics before bed but he can barely finish a few pages will fall asleep. his aim is to earn $10k a month (net) for 5 years and he will stop and use the money to start business. - just completed 2 years, 3 years to go.

i ask him he not tired? he say yes, so he hope passengers can talk to him, thats the best way to stay awake. he say most hard to endure is 1pm to 4pm. he sometimes doze off when driving. but after power through these few hours, he wont feel sleepy anymore. he say fatigue is ever present but sleepiness is on and off.

 

[orpisia]

It’s to keep himself awake. I also drink 3 cups of coffee to keep myself awake every day.

Wa 3 cups

If I 3 cups kopi, confirm kena overactive bladder like last time

 

[fulaien]

Talk to one grab driver ytd. He told me if they really chiong 1 month easily 8-10k

Their chiong is 15hrs a day, 7 days a week?

Whereas their same age peers with degree working as manager in office gets the same pay with 8hour work day, 5 days a week, 2hours lunch break, multiple tea breaks, get the same salary.

Its really not a viable option, especially when most jobs have progression, this one can only regress in pay as you get older and have less energy to drive.

Its the 手停口停 kind of job. Cannot sick, cannot take break for holidays one.

Many taxi, grab drivers only rest 1 day a year on CNY day 1.

 

[Maihiam]

free rental, insurance and petrol??

Net earnings after expenses. A one hour ride could easily exceed $20 in net earnings given that the fare for a half hour ride could easily exceed $20.

Lets assume 8 hrs of driving and gross earnings of $40 an hr. The extra $20 x 8 hrs = $160 should be enough to cover rental, petrol and prorated insurance.

 

[TiedInsurer]

Net earning after expenses. A one hour ride could easily exceed $20 in net earnings given that the fare for a half hour ride could easily exceed $20.

But Grab wants their commission. You pay $40, the driver gets $30.
Anyway Grab drivers currently do earn about $33.33/hr. But this is before expenses. To hit the $6k/mth you mentioned, they need to work 71hrs/week. About 6 days a week, 12hrs a day. Then rest one day.

 

[Maihiam]

But Grab wants their commission. You pay $40, the driver gets $30.
Anyway Grab drivers currently do earn about $33.33/hr. But this is before expenses. To hit the $6k/mth you mentioned, they need to work 71hrs/week. About 6 days a week, 12hrs a day. Then rest one day.

So capping driving hours at 12 hours a day is reasonable then. Lives are at stake - both drivers' and passengers'.

 

[popdod]

i took a gojek about 4 years ago to collect my car from workshop. i still remember the conversation until today. driver face super tanned probably with all the sun in his face. but despite being so tanned, still can see very dark panda eyes.

he say one day drive 15 to 18 hours a day sleep abt 5hrs a day. he is divorced no kids. totally no life besides drive/ shower/ eat/ sleep. he say he likes to read comics before bed but he can barely finish a few pages will fall asleep. his aim is to earn $10k a month (net) for 5 years and he will stop and use the money to start business. - just completed 2 years, 3 years to go.

i ask him he not tired? he say yes, so he hope passengers can talk to him, thats the best way to stay awake. he say most hard to endure is 1pm to 4pm. he sometimes doze off when driving. but after power through these few hours, he wont feel sleepy anymore. he say fatigue is ever present but sleepiness is on and off.

this taught us very important lesson which skool never teach you.

Using labour to trade for higher income at the expense of your health.

no difference from a cow working on the field for hours under blazing hot sun.


so focus on early investment.
not only have to work hard
also must work smart.

 

[shodan99]

Emcee can man cashier. Frontline staff and even garbage men in europe earn a lot more then office workers, because europe don't open leg to drive down blue collar salaries.

Sorry you are mistaken. In western Europe, most blue collar jobs are now held by eastern Europeans. Their youths are same everywhere, expecting gov handouts to survive. It's about 25% unemployment rates for young people in Europe now

 

[mcylo]

Then wat you want them to do?

On one hand i hate it

On the other i see their miserable lives sua sua la

Quit smoking lah….爱惜自己的生命

 

[mcylo]

He got two kids bro. You can survive without too much money, only if you BBFA.
When you become PHV driver, you've already accepted that your dreams are dead and buried. It's a dead end job with low earnings and no prospects.

To some people, driving in sg is a dream come true

 

[deathan9el]

i took a gojek about 4 years ago to collect my car from workshop. i still remember the conversation until today. driver face super tanned probably with all the sun in his face. but despite being so tanned, still can see very dark panda eyes.

he say one day drive 15 to 18 hours a day sleep abt 5hrs a day. he is divorced no kids. totally no life besides drive/ shower/ eat/ sleep. he say he likes to read comics before bed but he can barely finish a few pages will fall asleep. his aim is to earn $10k a month (net) for 5 years and he will stop and use the money to start business. - just completed 2 years, 3 years to go.

i ask him he not tired? he say yes, so he hope passengers can talk to him, thats the best way to stay awake. he say most hard to endure is 1pm to 4pm. he sometimes doze off when driving. but after power through these few hours, he wont feel sleepy anymore. he say fatigue is ever present but sleepiness is on and off.

better avoid taking these sort of overworked drivers, lacking of sleep

a potential cause for a possible disaster awaits, for both passenger/s & driver

:/

 

[ricohflex]

This statement

‘Have a life besides driving’​

is incorrect. And insensitive to the plight that was facing the dead man.

The poor man is struggling to work as a driver, even when he was ill (signs of impending stroke) in order to provide for his family.

It is not as though he has a choice to relax and enjoy life. Who would not want to.

 

[Teyemittisi]

???
3 ppl live in a 1 bedroom HDB? Haha.
So in your book, daring to want to live 3 people in a 2 bedroom HDB, is working too hard for "unfulfilled dreams". Sinkie shouldn't dream so big?

Anyway $4k/mth gahment will ask you to fly kite. Earning too much. Not eligible for assistance.

Here we are talking about survival. Your mindset already consider a certain level of comfort . There’s nothing to argue against

 

[TiedInsurer]

Here we are talking about survival. Your mindset already consider a certain level of comfort . There’s nothing to argue against

Come let me remind you what you wrote:

Making ends meet sound too extreme for me. At least in sgp, we can survive without too much money. But the issue I believe is unfulfilled dreams .. since we are brought up in a generation to dare to dream.. yet realised all is too far away .. that’s what most of us are doing , slogging away to have that little bit more to fulfil whatever remaining bits parts of our dreamsHere we are talking about survival. Your mindset already consider a certain level of comfort . There’s nothing to argue against

The claim you made is that the guy who died wasn't trying to make ends meet. He was trying to fulfill dreams. So in your mind, he shouldn't have wanted to live in a two bedroom when he has two kids. Instead he should have been contented with his lot, and squeeze himself and his two kids in a one bedroom HDB. Anything more then that is asking for too much comfort.

We're finished if this is the level of living everyone should be aiming for.

 

[khratit]

Quit smoking lah….爱惜自己的生命

I'm very sure the in-between work you will not do

Cigarette is the least of their vice

Still got gambling, hookers

Got one guy i know every action of his end up is pursue women, @ 59 years old, driving grab.

He will ask you meet up, if lucky talk to you 5 min, then end up one hour suddenly chat up random xmm for 1 hour

If not heng then he borrow small money and then go chat up some lady.

Issue is cannot change one, only wait them pass away

 

[Teyemittisi]

Come let me remind you what you wrote:

The claim you made is that the guy who died wasn't trying to make ends meet. He was trying to fulfill dreams. So in your mind, he shouldn't have wanted to live in a two bedroom when he has two kids. Instead he should have been contented with his lot, and squeeze himself and his two kids in a one bedroom HDB. Anything more then that is asking for too much comfort.

We're finished if this is the level of living everyone should be aiming for.

Yes this is exactly what I said. And so?

 

[TiedInsurer]

Yes this is exactly what I said. And so?

Your definition of "making ends meet" and "fulfilling dreams" is very different from most. I think most people would consider wanting to live 3 ppl in a 2 bedroom, as "making ends meet", not "fulfilling dreams".

 

[PaulLevesque]

Talk nonsense sia. If rental and fares good who tf would chiong until die

 

[Teyemittisi]

i took a gojek about 4 years ago to collect my car from workshop. i still remember the conversation until today. driver face super tanned probably with all the sun in his face. but despite being so tanned, still can see very dark panda eyes.

he say one day drive 15 to 18 hours a day sleep abt 5hrs a day. he is divorced no kids. totally no life besides drive/ shower/ eat/ sleep. he say he likes to read comics before bed but he can barely finish a few pages will fall asleep. his aim is to earn $10k a month (net) for 5 years and he will stop and use the money to start business. - just completed 2 years, 3 years to go.

i ask him he not tired? he say yes, so he hope passengers can talk to him, thats the best way to stay awake. he say most hard to endure is 1pm to 4pm. he sometimes doze off when driving. but after power through these few hours, he wont feel sleepy anymore. he say fatigue is ever present but sleepiness is on and off.

Fulfilling their dreams but pushing themselves to the limits… if only we are contented to just survive..

 

[Teyemittisi]

Your definition of "making ends meet" and "fulfilling dreams" is very different from most. I think most people would consider wanting to live 3 ppl in a 2 bedroom, as "making ends meet", not "fulfilling dreams".

I disagree again. What’s wrong for a family of 3-4 including young kids living in 2 bedroom.? Clearly, you cannot differentiate what is to survive and what to fulfil a decent standard of living