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The government will provide a S$27 million one-off top up to the Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF) for taxi and private hire car (PHC) drivers, amid the increased Covid-19 regulations in place during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).

Eligible drivers will receive an additional S$10 per day top-up through the CDRF from May 16, 2021, to end June 2021.

Drivers will now receive S$25 per vehicle per day, up from the existing S$15 per vehicle per day.

All taxi and PHC drivers who are eligible for the CDRF will automatically receive the top-up through their operators, and drivers need not make an application.

Ridership decline due to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert)

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), preliminary data shows that taxi and PHC ridership has declined significantly since the start of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), due to factors such as the reduction in permissible group size and the suspension of certain activities, like dining out.

During a doorstop interview with the media, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said that ridership after the start of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) dropped to 55 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels, compared to 80 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels prior to the stricter measures.

"We recognise that taxi and PHC drivers need urgent targeted assistance to tide through this period so that they can continue providing sustainable taxi and PHC services for Singapore commuters," said LTA.

The S$27 million top up is in addition to the S$188 million, which the government had already committed for CDRF payments from January to June 2021.

According to Iswaran, approximately 16,000 taxi drivers and 40,000 private hire drivers will benefit from the increased payments.

LTA will work with the operators to implement the enhanced CDRF, by end May.

The government will also look into a further extension to the CDRF beyond the current tranche, given that ridership is likely to take time to recover after the end of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), and more details will be released in due course.

Drivers who have to serve QO will receive aid

According to LTA, drivers have also expressed concerns about the potential loss of income if they were served a Quarantine Order (QO) after coming into close contact with individuals who tested positive for Covid-19.

These drivers can tap on schemes such as the Quarantine Order Allowance Scheme, which is administered by the Ministry of Health (MOH), and other relief schemes provided by their taxi and PHC operators.

Drivers who are members of the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) members can also receive a one-off S$200 assistance provided by the associations, if they are served a QO.

Top image via Unsplash.