Transport Minister S Iswaran said on Monday that since January 2020, the number of active taxi and private-hire car drivers has dropped by 18 per cent to about 57,000 drivers as of June this year.
He was giving a written reply to questions filed by Member of Parliament Saktiandi Supaat of Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency, regarding the causes of recent booking difficulties and price surges of private-hire cars and taxis. “Like other sectors, the point-to-point sector will require time to adjust to the surge in demand after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.”Vocational licence applications have increased recently, for instance, andmay progressively return in response to the higher demand, which will help boost the supply of point-to-point drivers in the upcoming months.