Singapore
By Zhaki Abdullah 23 Jul 2021 02:08PM (Updated: 23 Jul 2021 02:24PM )
SINGAPORE: Taxi and private-hire car drivers will receive an additional S$30 million in support from the Government amid an expected decline in ridership during the month-long Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, which began on Thursday (Jul 22).
The amount will go towards the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund, set up in December last year to support drivers affected by the pandemic.
Announcing the move on Friday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said ridership is likely to take some time to recover after the relaxation of safe management measures, based on experience from the last heightened alert period from May to June this year.
In May, Transport Minister S Iswaran said that figures from the LTA showed that heightened COVID-19 restrictions then resulted in ridership for taxis and private-hire cars falling to about 55 per cent of what it was before the pandemic.
The fund currently provides drivers with S$10 per vehicle per day for 60 days from July this year, and S$5 per vehicle for the next 30 days after that.
The latest boost to the fund will see eligible drivers receiving an additional S$10 per vehicle per day from Jul 22 to Aug 31, and an extra S$5 per vehicle per day in September.
This is on top of the S$40 million which the Government had already committed for the three-month extension of the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund announced on Jun 10, LTA said.
This brings the total amount set aside to support the taxi and private-hire sectors since February last year to S$482 million.
LTA said it will work with taxi and private-hire car operators to implement the latest enhancements to the fund over the next two weeks, with firms informing drivers of disbursement details in due course.
All taxi and private-hire drivers who are currently receiving payouts through the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund will automatically receive the additional payments through their operators, the LTA said, adding there is no need for drivers to make an application.
Mr Iswaran had previously said that about 16,000 cabbies and 40,000 private-hire drivers would benefit from the previous round of support.
“For drivers who are served quarantine orders after coming into close contact with individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 infection, MOH (Ministry of Health) will continue to administer the Quarantine Order Allowance Scheme,” the LTA said.
The scheme provides S$100 a day to self-employed individuals who have been served quarantine orders.
Taxi and private-hire operators - in addition to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, which represent the interests of drivers - will also continue to provide their own relief packages to affected drivers, the LTA added.
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Source: CNA/az(cy)
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Additional S$30 million in support for taxi, private-hire drivers: LTA
Taxis wait in line along Battery Road during the evening peak hour in The Central Business District of Singapore on Tuesday (Jun 2), the first day of Phase 1 post-circuit breaker. (Photo: Jeremy Long)By Zhaki Abdullah 23 Jul 2021 02:08PM (Updated: 23 Jul 2021 02:24PM )
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SINGAPORE: Taxi and private-hire car drivers will receive an additional S$30 million in support from the Government amid an expected decline in ridership during the month-long Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, which began on Thursday (Jul 22).
The amount will go towards the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund, set up in December last year to support drivers affected by the pandemic.
Announcing the move on Friday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said ridership is likely to take some time to recover after the relaxation of safe management measures, based on experience from the last heightened alert period from May to June this year.
In May, Transport Minister S Iswaran said that figures from the LTA showed that heightened COVID-19 restrictions then resulted in ridership for taxis and private-hire cars falling to about 55 per cent of what it was before the pandemic.
READ: Additional S$27 million support for taxi, private-hire drivers amid heightened COVID-19 restrictions
The fund currently provides drivers with S$10 per vehicle per day for 60 days from July this year, and S$5 per vehicle for the next 30 days after that.
The latest boost to the fund will see eligible drivers receiving an additional S$10 per vehicle per day from Jul 22 to Aug 31, and an extra S$5 per vehicle per day in September.
This is on top of the S$40 million which the Government had already committed for the three-month extension of the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund announced on Jun 10, LTA said.
This brings the total amount set aside to support the taxi and private-hire sectors since February last year to S$482 million.
LTA said it will work with taxi and private-hire car operators to implement the latest enhancements to the fund over the next two weeks, with firms informing drivers of disbursement details in due course.
All taxi and private-hire drivers who are currently receiving payouts through the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund will automatically receive the additional payments through their operators, the LTA said, adding there is no need for drivers to make an application.
Mr Iswaran had previously said that about 16,000 cabbies and 40,000 private-hire drivers would benefit from the previous round of support.
“For drivers who are served quarantine orders after coming into close contact with individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 infection, MOH (Ministry of Health) will continue to administer the Quarantine Order Allowance Scheme,” the LTA said.
The scheme provides S$100 a day to self-employed individuals who have been served quarantine orders.
Taxi and private-hire operators - in addition to the National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, which represent the interests of drivers - will also continue to provide their own relief packages to affected drivers, the LTA added.
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Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus
Source: CNA/az(cy)
Continue reading...