*a prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages

This post has been sitting at the back of my mind for quite awhile, though I’ve been reluctant to get around to it. Perhaps I feel these guys deserve better, or maybe I’m sick & tired of hearing criticisms of our local cab drivers. Or perhaps I simply feel a slight indignation for my father.

Singaporean cab drivers have made frequent appearances in the local news recently, no thanks to various issues like the adjustment in cab fares, fare touts, Central Business District taxi-stand rules & surcharges, customer complaints, or involvement in accidents.

It is rather often you will hear complaints on expensive cab fares, rude cab drivers, or reckless drivers. I might agree on the latter, certain cab drivers drive wildly on the local roads, just because they are familiar with it. They ply the streets at least 12 hours a day, so unfortunately some are wont to act like they are the boss of the highway. But such behaviour is applicable to all drivers, albeit bad drivers, no?

The cab fare adjustment announced by the consortium of taxi companies has left many consumers disgruntled. Don’t be surprised, but most cab drivers do not have wider smiles after price increase either, due to a decrease in customers. With the recent inflation, everything from food, electricity to petroleum costs more.

Yes, 35% surcharge at peak hours & 50% after midnight might be costly. Although 4 months have passed since the adjustment, cab drivers still report poorer business than before. With taxi rentals likely to increase, these guys are at the mercy of both the consumer & the companies.

People tend to forget that cab drivers are their fellow Singaporean, who similarly has to cope with inflation like everyone else. Moreover diesel prices have gone up, with at least 5 upward revisions in 2007 alone. Unlike most employees who receive CPF contributions & extra bonuses each year, cab drivers have none of these benefits to cope with the inflation. Unlike employees who may take 14 days of medical leave, & make expense claims, cab drivers fork out the day’s rental ($47 for relief drivers & $96 for single cab owners, Comfort) should they fall ill. They work weekends & public holidays, come rain or shine.

A cab driver’s income is solely derived from the day’s earnings, minus overheads of diesel, food and rental. His earnings depends solely on hard work; the number of hours they stay on the road with a customer in the back of the cab.

Singapore’s meter rates are admittedly more expensive within Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Manila & Jakarta, where you are likely to spend at least an hour inside a cab due to traffic jams, thus incurring much higher fares comparatively) , but still cheaper than cosmopolitan Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Taipei & Seoul. It is without doubt cheaper than most cities in other continents, for instance in Sydney, cab rides cost AUD$30-40 on average.

Another rather interesting complaint is people questioning why cab drivers aren’t nicer if they have to fork out heavier fares. I have to admit, it does seem rather ludicrous to expect cab drivers to be friendlier because there is an increase in fares. I wonder if an accountant would be more meticulous, or if an engineer might increase his work-rate, when their paycheck goes up? It is unrealistic, & not to mention rather disarming, to expect your cab driver to deck out the niceties suddenly just because you are paying increased fares, moreover when tipping is not practiced in Singapore.

Most cab drivers possess a friendly disposition by default. They strive to accommodate all sorts of customers, from those looking for a tour guide, to those seeking a chat & the few who cannot stand anything less than a silent journey.

Singaporeans who rile about how cab drivers make a wrong turn or get lost, hear the wrong address or possess a terrible command of English, I hope you might close one eye. A majority of your cab drivers (all Singaporeans, I must say) are aged 50 years & above, uncles, grandfathers and fathers, if you can imagine. They are not infallible, & most are certainly kind enough to return items you leave behind, or give a reasonable discount should they lose their way.

Their English and hearing may not be perfect, but these guys (& ladies) are giving their best. Most of them give free rides to the elderly needy & the disabled. Of the many professions out there, cab drivers are probably one of those who really try to make an honest day’s living.

As with any profession, there are black sheep within the fleet who taint the credibility of cab drivers as a whole. A minute number of fare touts & reckless drivers will always exist. However, for every lousy cab driver, there also exists the ugly Singaporeans who escape without paying fares, dirty cabs with their litter and vomit, or even attempt to rob cab drivers (See today’s Straits Times report).

I can’t help but feel that cab drivers do not deserve the bad reputation, yet when people gather together to criticise these guys (& ladies), I wish they could see this from another point-of-view. At forums & even blogs like Xiaxue, where one person complains about the increase in prices or their less-than-satisfactory ride, many others will find a bone to pick with cab drivers, in perfect unison.

An open mind is such a priceless commodity, its probably what most of us can use right now.