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Does The Government Own Taxi Drivers A Living?

by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu

There are talks — such as this — that ask the government to do more to ensure taxi drivers can earn a decent living. Unfortunately, I feel that this sentiment is misplaced.

Being a taxi driver is, ultimately, a private business deal between the taxi driver and the taxi company. The cost of rental and the selling price of the taxi service are set by the taxi company. The government has rightly, in my opinoin, deregulated this aspect of the business, and shouldn't interfere or subsidise.

It may seems harsh, but if one finds that one cannot make a decent living driving a cab, one should get out of this business. Do another business, or, perhaps, work for others. The government should create enough jobs for everyone. The government shouldn't need to create enough taxi-driving jobs for everyone.

To solve the taxi shortage problem, in my opinion, requires the government to do something that many taxi drivers will probably object: give more taxi licenses. De-regulate further by reducing the barrier to entry. Remove most of the current regulations such as call-booking minimum standards, fleet sizes, etc, so that more players can come in with innovative ideas. The LTA shouldn't dictate how to run a taxi company.