Singapore’s taxi drivers unhappy with Uber, transport minister responds

It seems that taxi drivers in Singapore fear Uber, which threatens their livelihood by using private drivers to pick up passengers.

While they didn’t riot in the streets or overturn cars (Singapore clamps down hard on unruly behavior), they’ve privately complained to Khaw Boon Wan, the newly minted minister of transport, as he campaigned during the just-concluded general elections.

All this was revealed in a blog post written by the minister. Khaw says his ministry is taking another look at rules governing such transportation apps.

“Apparently, UberX signs on drivers to drive private hire cars to provide a booking type of transport service, and these drivers do not need a vocational licence unlike taxi drivers,” he says. “While taxi drivers welcome competition, they demand that the playing field be level. I think our taxi drivers have a point.”

UberX is just one of Uber’s many services.

It seems Khaw is taking a cautious and consultative approach, and that’s a good sign. He acknowledges that young people enjoy using services like Uber and Airbnb, and that the government must not resist innovation. He urges that “we must always be fair to players, whether incumbent or insurgents, and strike a balanced approach.”