By Kelly Ng,
TODAY
POSTED: 25
Feb 2015 06:44
URL:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/one-in-three-cabbies/1678440.html
TODAY reports: NUS researchers have called for a more
concerted effort to promote a healthier lifestyle among taxi
drivers in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: While waiting in line for passengers late one night,
cabbie Han Poh Guan witnessed a taxi in front slide and hit a wall
as its driver had fallen asleep without pulling up the
handbrake.
It is common for taxi drivers to doze off on the job because of
prolonged driving without a good rest, said the 57-year-old.
Long hours and sedentary
conditions are perennial complaints among taxi drivers here, many
of whom work beyond the 12-hours-per-day guideline suggested by the
Manpower Ministry.
A recent study among 231 cabbies here also found that one in
three of them experience driver fatigue, with those who work longer
hours - more than 10 hours a day - reporting a higher chance of
dozing off inadvertently.
More than half (55 per cent) of taxi drivers surveyed said they
do not take any day off.
The study - the first to look at risk factors of fatigue driving
among taxi drivers here - was conducted by the National University
of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and published
in this month’s issue of the Singapore Medical Journal.
The researchers also observed that those who fall asleep at the
wheel tend to report poor sleep quality, have another part-time job
or consume more than three caffeinated drinks daily.
There was also a higher proportion of cabbies, relative to the
adult population in Singapore, who reported chronic ailments such
as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol.
“Effort should be made to promote a healthier lifestyle in this
high-risk group, so as to curb the development of medical
conditions and to prevent further complications from existing
(conditions),” said the researchers, who randomly surveyed cabbies
from one of the largest local companies when they were queueing to
pay rental fees or waiting for their cars to be serviced.
While there are currently no official guidelines on taxi
drivers’ work hours and rest periods, the researchers said their
findings give cause to review existing policies and implement
measures to address sleep-deprived driving, such as educating
drivers to recognise when weariness creeps in.
National Taxi Association (NTA) executive adviser Ang Hin Kee
said cabbies drive for long hours to cover high overheads.
The Land Transport Authority’s regulations requiring a minimum
percentage of taxis to undertake a daily mileage of at least 250km
also contribute to cabbies’ daily grind, he added.
However, more has been done in recent years to care for the
health of taxi drivers, Mr Ang said. For instance, the NTA has
worked with the Health Promotion Board since late 2012 to bring
free health screenings and workshops to cabbies, while also
offering them stretch bands and pedometers.
The association also organises weekly jogging and bowling
exercises during off-peak hours to “get cabbies on their feet”,
although drivers have been slow to take it up, Mr Ang said.
He expects the introduction of third-party taxi applications and
a widened pool of relief drivers to give cabbies some relief.
Taxi drivers whom TODAY spoke to said they have to work long
hours to make ends meet.
“Rent and fuel costs can go up to S$190 a day and I have to take
up to 30 trips to see net income growth,” said Mr Han, who drives
from 6pm to 6am every day.
While he tries to get at least eight hours of sleep daily, this
is often affected by the time he reserves for his family. “I have
no time and money to exercise or go for check-ups,” said the
ComfortDelGro driver.
Some, including Mr Kelvin Lim, still set aside time to work out.
The 53-year-old TransCab driver dedicates three hours in between
two driving shifts to playing basketball with his colleagues and
neighbours.
“I make a very conscious effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This is a very high-risk job, so it is important to take care of
ourselves,” Mr Lim said.
