INTERACTING WITH PASSENGERS, TAXI COMMUNITY   

Despite the challenges, the satisfaction of engaging in a meaningful encounter with passengers drives them.

Mr Tuan, who also runs a business in Hong Kong, considers himself outgoing and enjoys interacting with passengers. He has even become a “regular driver” for some of his passengers-turned-friends.

Similarly, Ms Noh hopes her positivity rubs off on every passenger who hops in her taxi.

“When I see somebody not having a good day, I say hi, ask how their day is. Sometimes when they just talk about their job, they will release their energy and stress. It’s like a short therapy session,” she said. 

“If they don’t want to talk, drivers can sense it, but even a good greeting for the day makes a certain difference.” 

Occasionally, when she returns home after a long day, she even gets to tell her eight-year-old daughter a bedtime story about a passenger she met that day. 

She once told her daughter about a “very brave” wheelchair user she assisted. After an entire year of not leaving the house, the passenger plucked up her courage to visit a shopping mall by herself that day. The incident left a mark on Ms Noh, who remembered it as a “very happy day”.

Another time, she told her daughter about a “very interesting” couple from China who flew to Singapore just to give a letter to the Prime Minister. She sought the advice of other taxi drivers before taking the grateful couple to the Treasury to deliver their letter. 

Ms Noh has found this community of taxi drivers to be a crucial support system that extends beyond helping with directions and locations. 

“Everybody thinks taxi driving is just driving alone in the car, which is a very lonely job, if you think that way. Having a group of drivers who are the same is like having colleagues in the office. That support group works very well, and it improves your mental health as well,” she said.    

Describing the camaraderie among fellow cabbies, Mr Li, the driver with Strides, noted that “whether you’re driving for SMRT, Trans-Cab or ComfortDelgro, on the road you feel very at ease” alongside taxis from other companies. 

“Say, in a congested area, it’s almost impossible for you to overtake or change lanes. But when you signal right, and on the right side, there is a taxi, he will slow down and give way,” he said. 

“That’s one thing I realised private-hire drivers don’t do because we all fight for ourselves only.”