Another big cannon cabby claims to earn $6k pm and is his own
boss:
Former sales manager Mark Leow took a pay cut to become a taxi
driver but still considers it a good move.
“I can do more for myself as a taxi driver than working for
other people,” said the 32-year-old Institute of Technical
Education graduate in automotive repairs.
Mr Leow, who used to work in sales at a multinational company,
declined to reveal his previous salary, but said he now earns more
than $6,000 a month as a cabby.
As a MaxiCab driver with transport giant ComfortDelGro, he earns
mainly from shuttling corporate clients, hotel guests and airport
passengers in his seven-seater van. He says it is not impossible to
earn a decent living from driving a cab – it is all about having
the right attitude because the demand for taxis is always
there.
“You go out on the street and you can see so many people waving
their hands for a taxi,” he said. “There is no downtime for
us.”
Mr Leow said making money as a cabby is all about knowing where
to go.
For instance, there is no point for a cabby to wait for a fare
in the city after going there in the morning, because hardly anyone
will be heading out of town at that time.
“You have to go to where the people are,” he said, adding that
he would usually head to nearby neighbourhoods or stop at hotels
looking for passengers heading to the airport after dropping a fare
off in the city.
A typical day for him starts at 6am and ends around 6pm, though
on some days he pulls a longer day and ends at 9pm. On Sundays, he
rests.
On average, he earns about $300 a day after paying $155 for
rental and $40 for fuel. He said although he earned more in his
previous job, he also spent a lot of time away from home because of
business trips overseas.
One of the perks of the job is that he can take time out during
his work hours to meet his family for meals.
“Now, how much time I put in is how much I earn,” said the
father of a two-year-old girl.
He said being a taxi driver is similar to being an entrepreneur;
he’s his own boss without needing to pump in a lot of start-up
capital.
“If you own a business, you have to be creative, advertise and
worry about expanding,” said Mr Leow, who lives in a five-room
Housing Board flat in Choa Chu Kang. “Now all I’m doing is selling
my service and my hard work.”
As for taxi drivers not having such benefits as annual bonuses,
medical leave and Central Provident Fund contributions, Mr Leow
said he has to look after his affairs on his own.
“I have my own medical insurance and set aside money for
retirement like I would if I was given CPF,”
he said. “It’s just all about managing my money well.”
Having observed more young men and women choosing to be cabbies,
he said it is an attractive option for those who want to avoid the
rat race.
“It’s a renewal of the industry,” he said, referring to the
rising number of people like him who choose to be cabbies over
regular jobs. “Just like in the 1960s when many young men joined
the business.”
For him, becoming a cabby was a career choice and not a stepping
stone to another job or just something to do to pass the time. He
said: “It is a fantastic industry to be in and I see a good future
here.”
