SECOND CLASS HACKNEY CARRIAGE DRIVING LICENCES

Mr Bernard Rodrigues asked the Deputy Prime Minister (a) if he will explain why there are only 3,213 Second Class Hackney Carriage Licences issued up to August 1965, as against 13,032 Hackney Carriage Driving Licences issued up to the same month; (b) whether he is aware of hardship caused to holders of Second Class Hackney Carriage Driving Licences by this imbalance, and (c) if he will undertake to stop issuing further Second Class Hackney Carriage Driving Licences, and increase the number of Second Class Hackney Carriage Licences.

Inche Yaacob Bin Mohamed Al-Haj (for the Deputy Prime Minister): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, in July 1959 the issue of taxi driving licences was stopped. Four years later in 1963, representations were made by taxi owners that there was difficulty in looking for taxi drivers to man their vehicles. Petitions had also been submitted from members of the public asking for a resumption of the issue of taxi driving licences. Because of these petitions, a Committee was appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister in 1963 to ascertain the correct ratio of taxi drivers to the number of second class hackney carriages (i.e., taxis).

In 1963, there were 3,185 motor vehicles licensed as second class hackney carriages, i.e., as taxis. If it is argued that all these vehicles were operating, and 2 drivers are required to operate one taxi during a 24-hour period, then the total number of taxi drivers would be 6,370. This simple arithmetic, however, does not fit into the actual requirements of the taxi business. Taxi drivers, like all other workers, must have their rest days in any week, and it is not always possible for a taxi driver to remain at the wheel continuously for periods as long as 12 hours at a stretch. Therefore, the total number of persons that would be required to operate the 3,185 taxis is actually higher than the figure of 6,370, and a ratio of 3 drivers to one taxi would probably be more correct, giving allowances for sick leave, resignations, etc. This should bring the figure of persons holding taxi driving licences to 9,555. In actual fact, at the end of 1963 there were 9,841 persons holding taxi drivers' licences. However, the Committee found that not all these licence holders were engaged in driving taxis as a full-time occupation.

It was ascertained that a great number of these licence holders either were not engaged in driving taxis at all, or were only engaged in driving taxis as a part-time occupation. Some of these licence holders, according to the evidence submitted to the Committee, are shop assistants, hawkers, lorry drivers or attendants, bus drivers or conductors, subordinate staff in commercial firms, and even Government servants. They drive taxis whenever they can during public holidays or during their off-duty hours to earn some extra income. There are other licence holders who, although they are at the moment not engaged in driving taxis at all, renew their licences year after year with a view to making use of them in case they lose their present jobs. Yet a number of the licence holders are garage owners or motor mechanics who require these licences to drive taxis for the purpose of testing the vehicles.

For these various reasons, it was decided to resume the issue of taxi driving licences but only to those who were unemployed and had registered at the Labour Exchange. At present, l3,414 taxi driving licences have been issued, but this figure is small in comparison with the total number of ordinary driing licences which is 368,408.

The problem does not lie in the number of holders of taxi driving licences but in the number of taxis permitted to ply on the roads. At present, there are 3,193 taxis. The Government had in the Past indicated that the number of taxis plying on the roads must have relationship to public demand and that the number would be reviewed from time to time. It is my intention now to review the position of public transport and I shall set up a Committee to investigate and make recommendations.

Mr Bernard Rodrigues (Telok Blangah): Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister indicate when he intends to set up this Committee and if he will include the Singapore Taxi Drivers' Association on it?

Inche Yaacob Bin Mohamed Al-Haj: (In Malay): This matter will be considered and even if they are not selected, the Committee will still receive opinions which they hope may be constructive in nature.