With everyone working, playing, eating, and pooping in their homes, the streets of Singapore are emptier than my soul after finishing the entire Tiger King series on Netflix.
As a result, taxi drivers are finding it hard to get customers in this ghost town that was once a bustling metropolis.
Thankfully, some companies are helping their employees out: my kind boss, for example, now allows me to work just 23 hours a day instead of 24, though now I have to pay him so I can work.
But it’s not just my compassionate boss who’s showing some care for his workers; this taxi company cares too.
SMRT Also Waiving Full Rental For Their Taxis for a Month & Working to Provide Delivery Jobs for Drivers
Yesterday, we reported that ComfortDelgro is going to waive its taxi rental for a month, from 7 April to 5 May.
In other words, if you’re driving a blue or yellow taxi, you won’t need to pay a single cent for rental come next Tuesday.
And now, you won’t have to pay rental if you’re driving a maroon cab.
Or is it brown?
Dark red perhaps?
Why couldn’t they just name their cab something like Silvercab so even the colour-blind will know what freaking colour their taxi is?
But I digress.
SMRT announced on Saturday (4 April) that it too will be giving its drivers a full rental waiver for four weeks from April 7 to May 5.
The full rental waiver will cost SMRT $7.3 million, the company said.
Together with the earlier rental rebates announced, the total relief package is expected to cost SMRT up to $17.9 million.
As for ComfortDelgro, this latest scheme will cost the company $19 million, but this is in addition to previous measures that will cost a total of $99 million.
Yes, it’s not a great time for businesses.
I’m glad I’ve the option to pay my boss for not firing me.
Delivery Jobs for Drivers
That’s why SMRT said it will also be partnering with Fei Siong Group, KFC, Pizza Hut, GrabFood and GrabExpress to provide taxi drivers with delivery jobs as well.
The aim is for more than 500 taxi drivers to be recruited for food and parcel delivery collaborations, SMRT said.
