Being a taxi driver comes with its risk especially during the COVID-19 outbreak that’s ravaging the world.
While many of us have the privilege to work from home, it is part of a taxi driver’s daily duty to come into close proximity with strangers day in and day out.
Thus, it’s perfectly understandable that some drivers would want to take the necessary precautionary measures.
Unfortunately, not all passengers are as understanding:
Taxi Driver Relates How Passengers Complain When She Took Precautionary Measures to Fight COVID-19
A netizen named Maharani Chakra Dewi took to Facebook to share her experience with being a taxi driver who took precautionary measures during the coronavirus outbreak.
Maharani begins by explaining that she is a lady taxi driver who works for Comfort Delgro.
She goes on to explain that she has children at home, thus, she hopes that her passengers can adhere to her precautionary measures for their safety and her passenger’s.
Precautionary Measures
Unfortunately, she shares that some of her passengers have not been 100% supportive of her efforts.
Her precautionary measures include using Dettol and Clorox to wipe the seats and door hinges.
Sounds great right? You get a squeaky clean car without a trace of any pesky viruses.
Apparently some passengers complained that the taxi smells like a hospital.
In a separate incident, when she offered passengers free masks, they decline and say that they aren’t sick and that they do not need a mask.
“Offer passenger free mask. Still complain no sick no need mask.”
She also asked that passengers clean their hands using alcohol wipes before they make a payment but she claims that she was called a “freak”.
“Ask passenger clean hand use the alcohol wipes if make payment. Passenger not happy say I am freak.”
And no, it doesn’t end there.
When she winds down her window, her passengers request that the aircon be switched on at “full blast”.
She ends off the post with reminding passengers that they need to take care of their health too as she has loved ones waiting for her to come home.
“My passenger need to take care of the health cause I have loved ones at home waiting for me.”
Lastly, she reminds the public to call the ambulance when they are sick instead of taking the ambulance.
Interestingly, she then translates her entire post into many different languages including Tamil, Vietnamese, Chinee and Malay.
The post has since garnered as many as 1.4k Shares and 1.3k reactions.
Drivers Earning Less In Singapore
Back in February, we wrote about the impact of the coronavirus on taxi drivers.
For instance, the drop in visitor arrivals and lesser passengers means an estimated loss in income of between 20 and 40%.
On top of that, drivers are also struggling to keep up with petrol and rental costs.
But there’s some good news.
On 13 February 2020, it was reported that drivers are able to tap into a 77 million package to tide over this difficult period.
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From 14 February 2020, eligible drivers will be given $20 relief per day for the next three months.
Let’s hope that passengers can be a little more understanding when it comes to measures and precautions that drivers may have to take in light of the virus.
Stay safe everyone.
