In Parliament
Written Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung to Parliamentary Question on Data on Profile of Private Hire Car Drivers
3 November 2020
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Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport
a. what is the respective number of active private hire car drivers and taxi drivers compared to the respective number of holders of private hire car driver's vocational licence and taxi driver's vocational licence; and
b. for private hire car drivers, what is the breakdown based on (i) full-time versus part-time drivers (ii) Singaporeans versus non-Singaporeans and (iii) drivers below the age of 30.
Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung:
1. As of end August 2020, there are:
a. About 97,000 Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence holders of whom 32,000 are registered drivers in the month of August 2020; and
b. About 52,000 Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) holders, of whom 43,000 drove at least one PHC trip in the same month. Given the flexible nature of PHC driving, there is no official definition for a full-time PHC driver.
2. Currently, about 95% of PDVL holders are Singaporeans, and the rest are permanent residents; 85% are above the age of 30. Since 15 September 2020, new PDVL applicants must be Singapore Citizens who are at least 30 years old. Existing PDVL holders are not affected by the new rule as long as they continue to renew their PDVLs.