The National Taxi Association (NTA) yesterday urged the Government to conduct a trial allowing taxi drivers to deliver goods, a day after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) made clear that taxis and private-hire cars cannot be used solely for this purpose.

Members of Parliament (MPs) and drivers also called for the LTA to review the regulation, in order to maximise the use of existing vehicles to make deliveries.

The “archaic” rule runs counter to the Government’s call for citizens to embrace disruptive technology and the gig economy, and drivers should not be denied a means to earn extra income, some said.

NTA’s executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said the association, together with taxi operators, would soon propose a “regulatory sandbox” to allow taxi drivers to make deliveries. The approach would provide room to experiment before any changes to existing regulations are made.

The proposal is line with the Government’s push towards a “car-lite” society, said Mr Ang, who is also a Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency (GRC).

“If we don’t allow private-hire car or taxi drivers to do these deliveries, what it basically means is these deliveries have to be done by somebody else ... instead of using the same driver (and) car to do multiple work,” he said.

As there is already an “abundant” number of private-hire cars and taxis, the concern that there would be insufficient vehicles to meet commuter demand may no longer be such a “critical issue”, said Mr Ang.

Fellow MP (West Coast GRC) Patrick Tay said laws need to be reviewed constantly to keep pace with disruptive technologies, where new forms of work would emerge.

“Whatever that helps enhance the livelihood of working people, and if it doesn’t cause any inconvenience, they should be given the latitude to do so,” said Mr Tay, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

Tapping existing modes of transport to deliver goods is a more efficient option, said Mr Desmond Choo, NTUC’s industry transformation and productivity director.

“Having separate categories of vehicles for specific tasks might mean that we are not optimising our resources,” he said.

TODAY had reported that freelance drivers — some with ride-hailing giants Grab and Uber — were doing deliveries for Amazon’s Prime Now service. Amazon had also booked taxis for deliveries, albeit with a passenger on board.

Private-hire car drivers interviewed by TODAY were unaware of the LTA’s existing regulation and felt the rules should keep pace with the times.

In a report by The Straits Times on Wednesday, the LTA had said private-hire vehicles and taxis are meant to take passengers for “hire and reward” and cannot be used only for conveying goods, although passengers who hire them may carry goods.

The LTA did not reply to TODAY’s queries by press time.

A driver, who does deliveries for Amazon and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the LTA’s position was stuck in “archaic times”.

“During off-peak hours, it’s still a private car; we can use it for anything ... Disruptions (are) here to stay and we need to embrace change,” he said.

Ms Rennu Mahajan, 55, a Grab driver, felt that private-hire car drivers should be free to deliver goods and ferry passengers.

Mr Tan Ee Hsing, 41, who drives with Grab and Uber, encounters customers “quite often” who want items, such as parcels or food, to be delivered to their family members without riding in the vehicle themselves.

He agrees to transport the items after ensuring that the contents are safe. “Am I wrong to do that?” he asked.

Insurance, however, could be an issue, said lawyer Amolat Singh. If the goods are destroyed should the vehicle catch fire, for instance, the drivers may not be insured.

To tackle this, the proposed regulatory sandbox could experiment with broader insurance coverage allowing for the carriage of goods, suggested Mr Ang.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by KENNETH CHENG

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