AS THE son
of a taxi driver, I grew up seeing my father leave home every
morning in the wee hours and return late at night. It is especially
frustrating to see my father work an average of 360 days a year,
even on days when he feels unwell, so as to offset the daily rental
that the taxi operator charges.
There is
currently no regulation making it mandatory for taxi companies to
provide cabbies with an annual quota of medical leave, or the
equivalent of unpaid medical leave in the form of a rental
waiver.
While the
major operators do provide rental waivers in the case of
hospitalisation of the cabby or a death in the immediate family,
more can be done.
The current
system encourages taxi drivers who are sick to continue working in
order to cover the daily rental. This poses a danger not only to
the cabby but also to other road users.
Even though
taxi drivers are considered to be self-employed, they deserve the
basic right to be granted medical leave when they are genuinely
sick.
I hope the
National Taxi Association can play a more proactive role in working
with the taxi companies to improve the welfare of
cabbies.
Chua Kok Nam
