Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Cap on Number of Hours Spent on the Road by Private Hire Car or Taxi Drivers

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether the Ministry can consider imposing a limit on the number of hours that a private hire car driver or a taxi driver can drive consecutively; and 

b.     with the current maturity of driver assistance technology, whether the Ministry will work with taxi fleet operators and private hire car platforms to install technologies to monitor and be alerted if a driver is too tired to drive.

Reply by Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1.     We do not set a regulatory limit on the number of hours a taxi or private hire car driver can work continuously, as this is a personal decision for drivers to make. Instead, we work with tripartite partners to reinforce a culture of safe driving and promote good practices to prevent driver fatigue.

2.     The tripartite Workplace Safety and Health Council has a set of Guidelines on Fatigue Management which encourage drivers, including taxi and private hire car drivers, to limit their shifts to no more than 12 hours. All taxi and ride-hail platform operators provide guidelines for drivers to have sufficient rest, and remind them, through the taxi’s Mobile Data Terminal or the ride-hail mobile application, to take breaks after long shifts. Some operators have also deployed various forms of driver assistance technology and anti-fatigue system to promote safe driving.

3.     All taxi and private hire car drivers undergo training on occupational health hazards as part of their Vocational Licence courses, during which they are recommended to take short breaks after every two hours of driving.