The clock is ticking for thousands of Grab drivers in Singapore.
23,000 private-hire car drivers have yet to obtain the proper license to chauffeur people around, according to Land Transport Authority (LTA). If they don’t have the license by June 30, they’ll just have to stop providing their services until they get the proper approval.
Singapore law requires ride-hailing providers to hold a Private Hire Car Vocational License (PDVL) in order to operate, but last year, LTA gave temporary concessions to about 42,900 drivers.
The drivers were given a year to get the required safety training and take the certification exam. In order to pass the test, drivers must also be able to read English, so that they can navigate roads and buildings.
While about 19,900 of those drivers have attended training and passed the test so far, the LTA verbally shamed the remaining drivers in a scathing press release today. They pointed out that 17,700 of these still unlicensed drivers “have not registered to sit for the test even once.” Meanwhile, another 5,300 drivers have already attended the course but have yet to pass the test.
And all this, “despite reminders from the Land Transport Authority, Grab and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, to do so.”
Here’s the subtext: Don’t blame us if you can’t book a ride to work next Monday. We tried to tell ‘em.
So what now? In order to keep driving legally, the LTA stated that drivers will have to either register for the exam by next Friday or reapply. For those drivers thinking about operating under the radar, LTA warned that conviction for illegal chauffeuring carries fines of up to $1,000, a jail term of up to 3 months, or both.
The ride-hailing apocalypse
What this could mean for users of ride-hailing services is that there could be a hugely diminished pool of available private-hire drivers come July 1. With demand for rides remaining the same and the supply of drivers severely cut down, you know the potential outcome — insane surge-pricing and/or supreme difficulties in even booking rides.
Right now, Grab is working overtime to get their drivers to meet the deadline. A Grab spokesperson told Coconuts Singapore that they recently added extra services including new PDVL clinics that provide one-on-one consultation for drivers who require assistance on any part of the licensing process.
On their end, LTA is not all fire and brimstone. According to the memo, there is help available for those having trouble passing the test. Drivers who need help to improve their English are encouraged to sign up for the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Workplace Literacy Program, while applicants who need help in understanding the course and passing the test are can sign up for remedial classes.
