[BreakingNews] Cabby earns $7,000 a month
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When i told juniors i earned $3000 a month .... are u juniors convince ?
So now more or less , most people know we earn $3000 is a realistic figure .
Want more ..... very tough one , $3000 already very tough .
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Reporter sounds like a Pinay to me ....
What she know about taxi ?
Forgive her lah ..... we taxi drivers are the winner now , cos it is never the truth .
The truth is out .... by normal standard , $7000 is a impossible dream for many who joined the trade .
An impossible run for long haul .
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if u guys think of the reverse effects ...
It's a good move .
It is stopping or pulling back many who wish to join cos it is never a good move to quit a $4000 and above job just to drive a cab .
I am very happy overall about the whole saga .
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When i said no to those who joined and wanted a higher salary than $5000 , they thought i am lying , now many will know i never lied about anything regarding taxis earning .
Yes , i say YES
No , i say NO .
I lose nothing to tell the truth .
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The reporters who know us here , will never bother to interview us , cos our answers is never what they wanted ?
They wanted someone to tell them : " Yes i can earn $6000."
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If they ever ask me .... put it this way .....
If anyone ask about our income ..... i dun see why we should hide away from the $2000-$3000 bracket , which is the amount i agreed from NTA , average drivers earned that much .... someone like me .
I also dunno why last year ST published CDG drivers can earn up a certain amount different from what NTA said a few days ago .....
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Since they voluntarily reported that their earnings are $7000pm $ 6000pm respectively. IRAS should access their income of $84000 & $72000.
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so coincidental that "graduate driver" talk about earning 6k then the sunday time article come out 6k-7k.
ya here can't dig try different source, finally they get a sucker.
talking bout pinoys you got to go there, short holiday also can. then you see their livivng environment then you know how they really like. just a mini version of china. he who has the money is always right. they do anything for money. sgd500 for 1 bullet, delivered.
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Another article on the above on Yahoo News.
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Originally posted by Poolman:
When i told juniors i earned $3000 a month .... are u juniors convince ?
Sure, why not? My friend private bus driver one month about $4K.
Bus driver can hit $4K, taxi driver also should be no problem, depends on discipline only.
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Originally posted by Terry Young:
so coincidental that "graduate driver" talk about earning 6k then the sunday time article come out 6k-7k.
maybe it's all the fault of the "graduate driver", lol.
He gave the journalist the idea of doing taxi driver story.
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Originally posted by Red5xx:
disposal 4 hour $180?..
maybe u can start thinking change to pte L key..
eh i thought he dun like to do disposal 1??
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there were two . . . one graduatedriver , another created the same topic ajd got deleted by me , phddriver .
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Originally posted by Centori1965:
Another article on the above on Yahoo News.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-flipside/fairy-tale-7-000-month-cabby-teach-us-072647460.html
this is a wonderful piece of news
that blogger wrote exactly what's in my mind
Best is yahoo reported it, this will never happen in SPH publication.
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This is what the whole things from yahoo as what centuri had posted .
Can taxi drivers in Singapore really make as much as S$7,000 a month?
Yes, according to stories carried in The Sunday Times.
But don’t quit your day job yet.
32-year-old Muhammad Hasnor Hashim and 32-year-old Mark Leow, who have only started driving taxis in the past year, told the paper they earn S$7,000 and S$6,000 a month, respectively,
Hasnor reportedly said he earned that hefty amount driving his own “money-making machine” from 5:30am to 9:30am, 2pm to 6pm and after dinner until 10pm six days a week. He also drives on Friday and Saturday nights for extra money, raking in $200 a day even after deducting $150 for rental and fuel costs, and up to $500 a night on Fridays and Saturdays.
In Leow’s case, he drives a seven-seater Maxicab for up to 15 hours a day. His $300 daily income, taking out costs, stems mainly from shuttling hotel guests, corporate clients and airport passengers — and many of his trips carry flat rates.
Drivers in Singapore frequently operate on 12-hour shifts, dividing the day’s rental and fuel with one other cabby who will pull the other shift. Some drivers, like Hasnor, though will rent for a full day, giving them the flexibility to decide when to drive out to ferry passengers.
In the six years he has plied the taxi trade, 49-year-old Jeffrey Loon said he earns anywhere between $20 and $25 from one hour on the roads.Deducting about $100 for fuel and a half-day rental, the day driver shared that his takings usually come up to at most $200 from a full 12-hour shift, amounting to slightly more than $4,000 a month in takings, working six days each week.
“If you drive for more than 12 hours a day, you could possibly hit $6,000 a month, but how long can you sustain that? You really have to work very hard, and be very disciplined either way,” he toldYahoo! Singapore.
Loon also shared his doubt on the viability of taking breaks in between time on the road, saying he prefers to drive for 12 hours non-stop and then rest afterward.
“It’s really about sustaining the momentum. Once I stop, I find it very hard to start again,” he said. “I find the thought of going back home to rest for two to three hours and having to come out again very daunting.”
Another 54-year-old cabby, who wanted to be known as Mr Yeo, agreed with the hourly amount Loon shared.
In the 10 years’ experience he has had driving taxis in Singapore, Yeo, who drives the 12-hour night shift, told Yahoo! Singapore he earns slightly more than $3,000 a month from working either five- or six-day weeks.
His takings, he says, average at about $120 a night, after deducting $40 for diesel and $52 for his share of the rent.
“I’ve heard of some drivers who work 15 or 16 hours a day, and who earn about $4,000 to $5,000 a month,” he said. “But on eight hours a day, I highly doubt it’s possible to earn so much, unless you’re lucky and always have people waiting for you everywhere you go!”
Once in awhile, Yeo says he sees better months, with takings exceeding $4,000 especially at Christmas and New Year. Apart from that, though, he remains sceptical that it is possible to earn as much as Hasnor does assuming the latter works just 8 hours a day.
Blogger and taxi driver James Lim rebutted some of the various points in the articles.
For example, he said, driving for eight hours a night on a good day, he can take home about $158 after fuel and rental. In a month of 25 days of work, his income can come to about $3,000. Even if a driver does two shifts of 16 hours, he would get about $5,400.
“But can a single person drive 16 hours a day without breaks for 25 days a month? Impossible, unless he is a robot,” he said.
This situation seems to be the case even for younger drivers. One 37-year-old cabby whom Yahoo! Singapore spoke to, who has been plying the roads for the past five years, earns roughly between $3,000 and $4,000 a month as well on the night shift.
“It’s not every day that you can earn,” he said. “The increase in flag-down fares and surcharges has made things easier for us, but there aren’t always people around.”
He shared about a fellow taxi driver who had just started out three months ago, and while that cabby does earn $6,000 a month, he drives from 7:30am to 2:30am, six days a week.
“I asked him, how are you going to wake up for the next day? You can’t keep this up, you’ll burn out,” he said, sharing also that he supplements his income with a small online business selling mobile accessories.
“If I could find a more stable job, I think I would prefer to stop being a taxi driver, so that my income will be fixed,” he added.
Data from the National Taxi Association seems to also point to the possibility that Hasnor and Lewo may be one-off success stories in the taxi industry here.
Advisor to the NTA Ang Hin Kee told Yahoo! Singapore that in general, most taxi drivers earn slightly more than $2,000 a month after offsetting rental, fuel and ERP costs.
“Taxi drivers should not push their physical limit by spending more hours on the road to earn more,” he said. “I spoke with some of the more experienced taxi drivers and they have indicated that earning a net income of $6,000 is almost what two drivers take in with extra hard work. It is hence rather uncommon to achieve that kind of amount driving alone,” he added. -
I said i earned $3000 a month , i wrong or right ?
Now yahoo said so ...
NTA said so ....
except Straits Times ... said other wise .
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I said to drive 15-16 hours daily is crazy ..... i right or wrong ?
I said i drove 8 hours a day .... i am not alone leh .....
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“They have indicated that earning a net income of $6,000 is almost what two drivers take in with extra hard work. It is hence rather uncommon to achieve that kind of amount driving alone,” he added.
Like what JLKL and EricGo , plus the Saturday relief ....
Some here is true-ful .... say real stuffs .
JLKL is one of them .
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He shared about a fellow taxi driver who had just started out three months ago, and while that cabby does earn $6,000 a month, he drives from 7:30am to 2:30am, six days a week.
This is crazy ...7.30am to 2.30am ...
About 4 hours of sleep everyday ... how long he can tahan ?
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Last year , CDG published on papers , their drivers got about $4k a month .... and zhaobao published some maxis earned $6k a month .
Yahoo just mentioned $3000 a month ....
ST mentioned $7k a month .....
I all the while said we earned $3000 a month ...
and many here think $3k is what we can do ... big deal huh $3k ?
I praying hard SARS hit Singapore again , and see how much higher they can mention ?
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Originally posted by hammerhammer8888:
This 2 kids are so funny....Lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yh8bn5VKG1g#!
I like that part : " We must raise rental "
Cute when the young fellow said : " We must raise rental ."
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Members any. Issue pm me if non urgent for any complaint
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Originally posted by Angwk7118:
Members any. Issue pm me if non urgent for any complaint
Andrew , how come this reply came out from nowhere ?
I think u supposed to reply at the other tcss thread, is it ?
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Originally posted by Poolman:
This is what the whole things from yahoo as what centuri had posted .
Can taxi drivers in Singapore really make as much as S$7,000 a month?
Yes, according to stories carried in The Sunday Times.
But don’t quit your day job yet.
32-year-old Muhammad Hasnor Hashim and 32-year-old Mark Leow, who have only started driving taxis in the past year, told the paper they earn S$7,000 and S$6,000 a month, respectively,
Hasnor reportedly said he earned that hefty amount driving his own “money-making machine” from 5:30am to 9:30am, 2pm to 6pm and after dinner until 10pm six days a week. He also drives on Friday and Saturday nights for extra money, raking in $200 a day even after deducting $150 for rental and fuel costs, and up to $500 a night on Fridays and Saturdays.
In Leow’s case, he drives a seven-seater Maxicab for up to 15 hours a day. His $300 daily income, taking out costs, stems mainly from shuttling hotel guests, corporate clients and airport passengers — and many of his trips carry flat rates.
Drivers in Singapore frequently operate on 12-hour shifts, dividing the day’s rental and fuel with one other cabby who will pull the other shift. Some drivers, like Hasnor, though will rent for a full day, giving them the flexibility to decide when to drive out to ferry passengers.
In the six years he has plied the taxi trade, 49-year-old Jeffrey Loon said he earns anywhere between $20 and $25 from one hour on the roads.Deducting about $100 for fuel and a half-day rental, the day driver shared that his takings usually come up to at most $200 from a full 12-hour shift, amounting to slightly more than $4,000 a month in takings, working six days each week.
“If you drive for more than 12 hours a day, you could possibly hit $6,000 a month, but how long can you sustain that? You really have to work very hard, and be very disciplined either way,” he toldYahoo! Singapore.
Loon also shared his doubt on the viability of taking breaks in between time on the road, saying he prefers to drive for 12 hours non-stop and then rest afterward.
“It’s really about sustaining the momentum. Once I stop, I find it very hard to start again,” he said. “I find the thought of going back home to rest for two to three hours and having to come out again very daunting.”
Another 54-year-old cabby, who wanted to be known as Mr Yeo, agreed with the hourly amount Loon shared.
In the 10 years’ experience he has had driving taxis in Singapore, Yeo, who drives the 12-hour night shift, told Yahoo! Singapore he earns slightly more than $3,000 a month from working either five- or six-day weeks.
His takings, he says, average at about $120 a night, after deducting $40 for diesel and $52 for his share of the rent.
“I’ve heard of some drivers who work 15 or 16 hours a day, and who earn about $4,000 to $5,000 a month,” he said. “But on eight hours a day, I highly doubt it’s possible to earn so much, unless you’re lucky and always have people waiting for you everywhere you go!”
Once in awhile, Yeo says he sees better months, with takings exceeding $4,000 especially at Christmas and New Year. Apart from that, though, he remains sceptical that it is possible to earn as much as Hasnor does assuming the latter works just 8 hours a day.
Blogger and taxi driver James Lim rebutted some of the various points in the articles.
For example, he said, driving for eight hours a night on a good day, he can take home about $158 after fuel and rental. In a month of 25 days of work, his income can come to about $3,000. Even if a driver does two shifts of 16 hours, he would get about $5,400.
“But can a single person drive 16 hours a day without breaks for 25 days a month? Impossible, unless he is a robot,” he said.
This situation seems to be the case even for younger drivers. One 37-year-old cabby whom Yahoo! Singapore spoke to, who has been plying the roads for the past five years, earns roughly between $3,000 and $4,000 a month as well on the night shift.
“It’s not every day that you can earn,” he said. “The increase in flag-down fares and surcharges has made things easier for us, but there aren’t always people around.”
He shared about a fellow taxi driver who had just started out three months ago, and while that cabby does earn $6,000 a month, he drives from 7:30am to 2:30am, six days a week.
“I asked him, how are you going to wake up for the next day? You can’t keep this up, you’ll burn out,” he said, sharing also that he supplements his income with a small online business selling mobile accessories.
“If I could find a more stable job, I think I would prefer to stop being a taxi driver, so that my income will be fixed,” he added.
Data from the National Taxi Association seems to also point to the possibility that Hasnor and Lewo may be one-off success stories in the taxi industry here.
Advisor to the NTA Ang Hin Kee told Yahoo! Singapore that in general, most taxi drivers earn slightly more than $2,000 a month after offsetting rental, fuel and ERP costs.
“Taxi drivers should not push their physical limit by spending more hours on the road to earn more,” he said. “I spoke with some of the more experienced taxi drivers and they have indicated that earning a net income of $6,000 is almost what two drivers take in with extra hard work. It is hence rather uncommon to achieve that kind of amount driving alone,” he added.is this one..........
In "The FlipSide", local blogger Belmont Lay lets loose on local politics, culture and society. To be taken with a pinch of salt. Parental permission is advised. In this post, he talks about the recent media storm over the S$7,000-a-month cabby.
The recent news that taxi drivers are capable of earning big bucks has not gone down well with Singaporeans.
It was reported by The Sunday Times on Oct. 28 that two cabbies, Muhammad Hasnor Hashim and Mark Leow, both 32, earned S$7,000 and S$6,000 a month respectively as taxi drivers.
While Leow was spared most of the backlash, Muhammad has borne the brunt of it.
What followed was not surprising: cynicism and backlash from an incredulous public. (Since then,both the cabbie and the reporter have explained their side of the story)
And there are at least five good reasons why such news is bad for everyone.
1. Fairy tales are different from good news
First and foremost, the S$7k-a-month cabbie news is essentially a fairy tale. It is about an one-off occurrence, but wasn't presented as such. And fairy tales aren't the same as good news.
While good news is verifiable with data, fairy tales are based on word-of-mouth -- which is what it is in this case -- and paints an overly rosy picture of life in Singapore.
While good news is supposed to make everyone feel better, fairy tales tend to only make reporters look bad and their editors look worse.
How?
2.Shoddy reporting
The basic fact is that the news story was written from a poor angle that disregarded the wider facts and statistics of how much cabbies really earned.
True, people want to read good news once in a while for a kick. But they don't want to feel like an idiot reading it. Especially one written with a pitiful lack of hard data.
Ultimately, what can be gleaned is the dubious underlying message that anyone can make it given a bit of hard work.
And nobody likes to be told that they are less well-off simply because they are not hardworking enough.
Not because it is misleading. But because it is simply not true.
So where does this lead us?
3. Readers' intelligence taken for granted
With a simple back-of-the-hand calculation, any reader can dismiss the claim that Muhammad Hasnor Hashim makes "an average of $7,000 a month working Mondays to Saturdays".
This very fact already takes for granted the intelligence of readers. Worse, it makes them cynical and suspicious.
And what does it show? It shows shoddy work on the part of the reporter. Someone who gives short shrift to mathematics. And ignores common sense.
Because what is the ulterior motive of telling me something so unbelievable? What is the point of this story?
Is it supposed to make people jealous? Why am I presented a topsy-turvy view of Singapore?
4. Image of drivers tarnished
The larger implications can be felt almost immediately: the image of taxi drivers is tarnished as it trivialises the work done by them.
This point requires a bit of explaining. From the readers' perspective, what are they supposed to imagine and believe?
That cabbies no doubt work hard driving around a lot but, hey, they are capable of earning so much more than white-collar professionals, so it shouldn't be so bad?
Well, that's absolute rubbish.
Cab drivers have it brutally bad. Next time you board a cab, talk to the driver.
With more than 20,000 cabs plying the road on any given day, they are fighting for scraps all the time.
And who makes up the bulk of them? The old, the unhealthy and those who should be retired but cannot because they have a housing loan to pay or kids to send to school.
5. Takes spotlight off taxi operators
The focus then should be on how much profits taxi operators, such as ComfortDelGro, derive from the blood, sweat and tears of taxi drivers.
A much more interesting question a newspaper should be asking is what market forces are at work to determine the rental rate for taxis daily.
If COE and housing prices can fluctuate, why not taxi rental rates?
Where are the statistics? Where are the spokespersons from the various transport operators?
Think about it: if taxi rental is S$100 a day, that's $2 million worth of rental collected per day by taxi operators from at least 20,000 taxis.
That's $60 million a month and that sounds like a really interesting news story.
Silver lining?
The silver lining from this case is that readers overall score much higher in media literacy than perhaps what the government gives them credit for.
Following the publication of the $7k-a-month taxi driver, people have snorted, cast doubts and done their own homework.
Because deep down inside, people do know if anything is too good to be true, it usually is.
And the last thing they want to read is a fairy tale. In a newspaper.
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Tuesday, Nov 06
Taxi driver Muhammad Hasnor Hashim has changed his account of life as a taxi driver a week after making the news for claiming to earn $7,000 a month.
The 32-year-old had told two journalists of The Sunday Times that he earned that sum by working hard and working smart driving a Premier taxi.
Yesterday, he said he made $7,000 only once, in May this year, and that he usually earns $4,000 to $5,000 a month.
He is also no longer driving a Premier taxi.
He said yesterday that he had left the company after three months because other cabbies there were unhappy with him.
"They would see me in the lift and make comments at me," he added.
Premier Taxis confirmed that he is no longer one of its drivers, but declined to confirm if he left on his own or if his contract had been terminated.
Its spokesman would only say that the reasons for his departure were confidential. Mr Muhammad said he is now driving for another cab operator.
Before the report appeared last weekend, he had told The Sunday Times more than once that he earned $7,000 a month.
He said so when interviewed by this reporter in the presence of a photojournalist, and he elaborated on it when he was videotaped driving his cab.
Even after the storm of criticism erupted from netizens and other cabbies, he did not dispute the report when contacted by The Straits Times.
To those who said it was impossible to earn $7,000 and accused him of lying, he said last Wednesday that he was saddened by the reaction.
"I was just sharing my work experiences, and I'm not a liar," he said.
He also offered to show other cabbies how to earn as much if they wanted to learn from him.
"I feel sad that my own colleagues in this industry are reacting like this. I would be happy to share with them my own tips; they can just ask."
But by the end of the week, he had begun giving other media a different version, saying now that he had hit $7,000 only once, in May.
When The Sunday Times contacted him yesterday, he maintained this new line, which was reported in The New Paper yesterday.
Reminded that The Sunday Times had asked him how much he earned, not what was the highest sum he had ever earned, he said:
"Maybe I thought I was being asked how much I thought a taxi driver could earn."
He said he is now telling people that it was a miscommunication and if he had known his pay would be highlighted, he would not have wanted to be featured.
Mr Muhammad said all the negative comments and personal attacks had affected his family, especially his mother.