12-hours Taxi driving.
-
Cabby gives himself just 5 min for lunch 
By Benson Ang
CABBY Sun Leong Hock had been clocking 12-hour shifts driving his taxi when he died at home on May17.
The cause of death: Heart and lung failure.
Five days earlier, another cabby, Mr Lin Youtian, was found dead in the driver's seat of his cab, at a multi-storey carpark along Rivervale Drive.
Cab drivers often get bad press.
When surcharges are introduced, like the $3 extra for taking a taxi from Marina Bay Sands, people let fly at the cabbies.
Some cabbies don't endear themselves to passengers. Scan online forums and you'll find a litany of bad behaviour hurled against cabbies.
On the flip side, being a cabby is not easy.
The hours are long and irregular. There's also the fear of being robbed and having to deal with fussy passengers.
Taxi drivers The New Paper spoke to said it is common for them to clock more than 10 hours of driving a day.
They know this could lead to health problems, but they say they have no choice.
Rentals are not cheap, diesel prices have risen, and it's not easy finding a relief driver to share costs.
Take Mr Jordan Loh, 47, a cabby of one year who clocks 14-hour days in his seven-seater cab.
His workday begins at 6am, when he scans the roads for those heading to work. He takes a quick break after about four hours.
Lunch is wolfed down in five minutes, at the nearest hawker centre to where he is at that time.
From noon till 2pm, business is usually good as office workers head out to lunch.
The crowds thin after that, and Mr Loh heads for Changi Airport, where he hopes to land a tourist eager to explore the island.
Then it's on to catch the dinner crowd at 5pm before heading home at10pm.
"If we don't work those hours, we won't be able to survive," he said.
"Recently, business has become worse with the opening of the Circle Line. People who used to take cabs are now taking the MRT," said Mr Loh.
His rental costs $102 a day. Daily diesel cost comes up to $40. That means he must work six days a week to earn $2,000 monthly.
"Even on Chinese New Year, I rest only on the first day. I have to work at least a little on the second day to cover the rental."
He once used to work overnight, to take advantage of the midnight surcharge, but found that "too taxing".
Mr Loh used to be a quality manager, earning $5,000 a month, but he was retrenched in 2008.
He has two sons, 16 and 18, and his wife is an administrator in a polyclinic.
They live in a three-room flat that has been fully paid for.
A relief driver would help, but finding one has been difficult, said Mr Loh.
Such arrangements must be agreed on by the main driver and the relief driver.
"First, the relief driver must live near you. Second, he must want to drive at night," he said.
He also cited woes about relief drivers not refilling diesel and those who turn up late for shift changes.
"So the only way out is to slog and hope I don't burn out," said Mr Loh,who has diabetes and high blood pressure.
He tries not nap in his cab, he said, but asked: "How else can we take a break?"
He added: "It's better at least for us to recharge our batteries than to risk an accident because we are too tired."
Meals skipped
The New Paper spoke to three other cabbies who told the same story.
Mr Ng Boon Hong, 58, was a full-time driver for 33 years until last year.
Back then, he said he was required by the Land Transport Authority to undergo two health check-ups annually.
Mr Ng, who now drives part-time, said: "I used to have gastric pains from working irregular hours and skipping meals.
"After I stopped working those hours, my gastric pain went away."
Mr Daniel Cheong, 55, said he worked seven days a week for more 10 years.
He said: "That's a dog's life."
It's not just the health of cabbies that's affected. They have also been labelled the most dangerous or hard-luck drivers here, according to a recent Straits Times report.
Accidents involving taxis made up about 22,000 of the 162,000 motor accidents between 2007 and last year.
The report said that the long hours on the road appear to increase the odds of a taxi driver getting into an accident.
-
This reinforces my earlier statements that they are blood suckers & draculas. So anyone read this still wanna be a noob and come into the taxi trade?
If you have a job and just wanna quit coz u beh song with ur boss , wanna drive a taxi thinking U are the boss, read & think again
-
The deceased was dead not from driving a cab , mixtures with driving a cab plus heavy smoking more likely , why didn't they check the background ?
Heart and lungs ? Not smoking related disease ? u tell me .
-
Originally posted by kinwashi:
The report said that the long hours on the road appear to increase the odds of a taxi driver getting into an accident.
Silly statement , right ?Who dunno this ?
Just like a statement said : " Sailors most likely to get drown then got hit by a car ."
Silly right ?
-
Did Uncle Poolman encourage to do OMO 18 hours on the road ?
Did Uncle Poolman tell you to be discipline ?
Did Uncle Poolman told you to work smart , not too hard ? Money isn't anything ?
If u don't follow what Uncle Poolman said , then be prepared to be like the deceased .
Be discipline , start work the same everyday , go home the same everyday .
If u worked OT 3 hours extra daily , tell you this : " U still won't be a Millionaire ! "
-
Just a simple : Be Happy !
-
No...
Experts' given this kind of suggestions, not the same.. like what you said....leh.
Experts' advice to cabbies: Rest often, stay hydrated
CAB drivers are clocking too many hours on the road.
Mr Tan Jin Thong, president of the National Safety Council of Singapore, has met cabbies who say they are overworked.
He said: "If they work long hours, they must also take more, and longer, breaks. Shifts of 10 hours can be very strenuous."
He said the air-conditioning in the cabs can also lead to dehydration.
His advice to cab drivers:
- Take breaks of 15 to 30 minutes when you can, or for every four hours of driving
- Drink to avoid dehydration
- Try not to work if you are sick
- Don't take on too many shifts or two shifts in a row.
Mr Tan said: "If the cab driver finds himself sleepy and can't concentrate, he should take a break."
Associate Professor Hee Hwan Tak, deputy head and senior consultant of the National University Hospital's university spine centre, said the most common complaints by cab drivers are neck and back pain.
These conditions are caused by prolonged sitting, which puts pressure on a person's intervertebral discs.
Associate Professor Hee sees two to three cab drivers every week and said back problems among cabbies are on the rise.Like Mr Tan, he said that cabbies should avoid prolonged hours of driving and that they should "stretch their back and neck".
He added: "They can also use lumbar support when sitting."
R&R clubs
There are six taxi operators' associations here looking after the interests of cab drivers. Each is set up by a different cab company, and members pay a monthly fee of $9.
Members get a special rate for medical examinations and health screenings.
In addition, the associations organise social events for drivers and their family members, hoping to help them achieve a balanced work life.
Cab companies, on their part, also offer additional support for their drivers.
For example, Premier has designated staff to help its drivers find suitable relief drivers.
Its spokesman said: "We also provide free insurance cover for all our drivers, like hospitalisation, surgical and personal accident (insurance)."
She said that Premier's rental packages have rent-free days on Sundays and government-gazetted holidays. They also include medical leave and annual leave, subject to terms and conditions.
This is to encourage drivers to rest and spend time with their family.
SMRT Taxis also organises regular activities such as bowling, karaoke sessions and family days for its drivers and their families.
An SMRT spokesman said: "We constantly remind our drivers to take a break when they feel tired or unwell."
This article was first published in The New Paper.
-
Well, all occupation have their own health hazards, last time, our 56 yo GM also die of heart attack, my insurance agent also die of heart failure while on riding on a cab, age 46yo, and there are many peoples who die from premature death due to chemical or working stress in industries. So, it is not only taxis drivers that are at risk, even a MD who go frequent top raffles class check up can die on a business trip.
Basically, as Mr Pool said, discipline and take care of one own health is important, nobody owe u a living and also owe you your health, as adult and mature worker, TD need to adjust themselves, my hirer use to say, singapore land is full of money, you can drive here and there also got money, but do you have the health to get it, even he who everyday go gym and swimming also cannot tarhan to drive long hours 7/12 hrs type.
-
Originally posted by kinwashi:
Cabby gives himself just 5 min for lunch
By Benson Ang
CABBY Sun Leong Hock had been clocking 12-hour shifts driving his taxi when he died at home on May17.
The cause of death: Heart and lung failure.
Five days earlier, another cabby, Mr Lin Youtian, was found dead in the driver's seat of his cab, at a multi-storey carpark along Rivervale Drive.
Cab drivers often get bad press.
When surcharges are introduced, like the $3 extra for taking a taxi from Marina Bay Sands, people let fly at the cabbies.
Some cabbies don't endear themselves to passengers. Scan online forums and you'll find a litany of bad behaviour hurled against cabbies.
On the flip side, being a cabby is not easy.
The hours are long and irregular. There's also the fear of being robbed and having to deal with fussy passengers.
Taxi drivers The New Paper spoke to said it is common for them to clock more than 10 hours of driving a day.
They know this could lead to health problems, but they say they have no choice.
Rentals are not cheap, diesel prices have risen, and it's not easy finding a relief driver to share costs.
Take Mr Jordan Loh, 47, a cabby of one year who clocks 14-hour days in his seven-seater cab.
His workday begins at 6am, when he scans the roads for those heading to work. He takes a quick break after about four hours.
Lunch is wolfed down in five minutes, at the nearest hawker centre to where he is at that time.
From noon till 2pm, business is usually good as office workers head out to lunch.
The crowds thin after that, and Mr Loh heads for Changi Airport, where he hopes to land a tourist eager to explore the island.
Then it's on to catch the dinner crowd at 5pm before heading home at10pm.
"If we don't work those hours, we won't be able to survive," he said.
"Recently, business has become worse with the opening of the Circle Line. People who used to take cabs are now taking the MRT," said Mr Loh.
His rental costs $102 a day. Daily diesel cost comes up to $40. That means he must work six days a week to earn $2,000 monthly.
"Even on Chinese New Year, I rest only on the first day. I have to work at least a little on the second day to cover the rental."
He once used to work overnight, to take advantage of the midnight surcharge, but found that "too taxing".
Mr Loh used to be a quality manager, earning $5,000 a month, but he was retrenched in 2008.
He has two sons, 16 and 18, and his wife is an administrator in a polyclinic.
They live in a three-room flat that has been fully paid for.
A relief driver would help, but finding one has been difficult, said Mr Loh.
Such arrangements must be agreed on by the main driver and the relief driver.
"First, the relief driver must live near you. Second, he must want to drive at night," he said.
He also cited woes about relief drivers not refilling diesel and those who turn up late for shift changes.
"So the only way out is to slog and hope I don't burn out," said Mr Loh,who has diabetes and high blood pressure.
He tries not nap in his cab, he said, but asked: "How else can we take a break?"
He added: "It's better at least for us to recharge our batteries than to risk an accident because we are too tired."
Meals skipped
The New Paper spoke to three other cabbies who told the same story.
Mr Ng Boon Hong, 58, was a full-time driver for 33 years until last year.
Back then, he said he was required by the Land Transport Authority to undergo two health check-ups annually.
Mr Ng, who now drives part-time, said: "I used to have gastric pains from working irregular hours and skipping meals.
"After I stopped working those hours, my gastric pain went away."
Mr Daniel Cheong, 55, said he worked seven days a week for more 10 years.
He said: "That's a dog's life."
It's not just the health of cabbies that's affected. They have also been labelled the most dangerous or hard-luck drivers here, according to a recent Straits Times report.
Accidents involving taxis made up about 22,000 of the 162,000 motor accidents between 2007 and last year.
The report said that the long hours on the road appear to increase the odds of a taxi driver getting into an accident.
So for those TD haters who wish to flame us in future, pls think again what we are going thru. Drive TD for a week and you'll understand...
-
Who cares what TDs are going thru. Just remember this...Nobody owes us a living, and we don't owes anybody a service. I know where to ply and where to avoid. Happy support us , not happy just ignore us. So simple. Talk so much for what ! Why bother what ppl say. TD must be 铜皮�骨.
-
ya lar... the farker want taxi, taxi must be there waiting for him... fark lar... ask him employ a chaueffer.... or buy a car and drive lor...
-
sad stories... they haven heard ALN stories yet... more sad... haha
-
hahaha..but u still alive mah. Take it easy in life lah, it is so unpredictable, you do not know what tomorrow bring, if you owe people, go easy and cool, but if someone owe you, you worry more on whether if he is going to pay or not.
-
To be honest , drive taxi 12 hours , nothing leh !!!
Unless they are talking about 18 hours , some 24 hours etc .....
Most relief tookover the shift driving 12 hours routine leh , what's the fuss ?
-
To those drive trans cab red wish F1 offer $10 surcharge from 9 pm to 1 am from today to sunday. Taxi stand at kallang L P.