Moving quickly after rules were tightened for private hire car drivers on Tuesday (April 12), Grab and Uber have lowered the minimum required age for their drivers to 21, from 22 and 25 years old respectively, widening the pool of potential drivers they can tap.

Unlike those seeking a Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL), aspiring private-hire car drivers do not need to be of a minimum age under the new regime for the private hire car industry. TDVL applicants, on the other hand, must be at least 30 years old.

Uber, which sent a text message to registered drivers on Thursday announcing the move, told TODAY it does not “discriminate when it comes to age”.

The company would contact those who previously applied but were not able to drive as they were too young, as well as start campaigns aimed at groups like students and young professionals, said Uber Singapore general manager Warren Tseng.

Grab, when contacted, also revealed that it had lowered its minimum required age for private-hire car drivers. Grab Singapore head Lim Kell Jay said that the company has seen younger drivers come forward. “We believe the revised minimum age approach strikes the appropriate balance between ensuring sufficient driving experience while not eliminating the opportunity for younger drivers to drive part-time for additional income,” he added.

Under the new regulatory regime for the private-hire car industry, which will take effect by the first half of next year, aspiring drivers must obtain a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence and vehicles must be registered with the authorities, among other things.

The regime was welcomed by Uber and Grab, but drew protests from cabbies who pointed out discrepancies between the licensing regimes, such as the lack of a minimum age requirement, that put the taxi industry at a disadvantage.

Asked by TODAY if there were safety concerns over younger, and possibly less experienced, private-hire car drivers taking to the roads, the Land Transport Authority said: “Instead of using age as a proxy for the safety and ability of drivers, a better way is to require a minimum driving experience and to ensure they have adequate training.”

It also explained that the minimum age for TDVL applicants was there to ensure that younger Singaporeans seek full-time employment in other industries in need of manpower, instead of taking up taxi-driving as a full-time job. “The majority of (private hire car) drivers are, however, part-timers,” noted the LTA.

Presently, Uber and Grab drivers must have at least one and two years of driving experience, respectively. Both companies also require their drivers to have a commercial insurance policy that would cover damages, third-party property and/or bodily injury resulting from an accident. 

The latest moves by Uber and Grab further frustrated cabbies already unhappy with the increased competition.

Mr Lim Lai Seng, 63, said young drivers “do not have enough patience”, and Uber and Grab drivers should be subjected to the same requirements for taxi drivers.

Another taxi driver who only wanted to be known as Mdm Lim agreed. “It’s like taking a risk for the passengers. Their lives are in the drivers’ hands,” the 51-year-old noted.

Commuters, meanwhile, were willing to give younger drivers a chance. Finance professional Kim Vu, who uses Uber about 10 times a week, said he believes younger drivers who want to join Uber or Grab will be “serious enough to drive properly when they have passengers”.  “There will be more drivers on the road and it will pass on savings to the customers,” the 28-year-old added.

Part-time tuition teacher Jessica Tan, 38, added: “If you got your licence at 18, you would have been driving for three years already.”

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by Raymond Tham And Louisa Tang

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