In his blog entry yesterday (Oct 2), Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote that he was surprised that Uber taxi drivers do not need a vocational license, thus having an unfair advantage over the typical taxi drivers. During the elections, many taxi drivers have complained to him that Uber drivers do not require taxi vocational license and it is unfair to them.
According to Khaw Boon Wan, private car-sharing applications like Uber will be regulated soon to “level the playing field”. He said that he had sent the new Senior Minister of State for Transport Ng Chee Meng to consult taxi drivers and the general public before coming out with any solution.
“Taxi drivers have also welcomed uberTAXI, as they saw their business improve. However, during the recent GE campaign, quite a number of taxi drivers have told me that “uberX is unfair”. I was surprised. Apparently, uberX signs on drivers to drive private hire cars to provide a booking type of transport service, and these drivers do not need a vocational licence unlike taxi drivers. While taxi drivers welcome competition, they demand that the playing field be level. I think our taxi drivers have a point.”