Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has revealed in Parliament that about 33.4% of taxi drivers are aged between 60 to 74 years old, while 92.4% of the Taxi Driver Vocational Licence (TDVL) are above the age of 40. Generally, the retirement age in Singapore is 65.
The breakdown does not say why so many of the taxi drivers are actually above 40 years old, and why almost a third of taxi drivers are about retirement age, or those who have already should retire. But this alarming numbers show that even when taxi drivers reach retirement age, they cannot afford to retire and enjoy the rest of their lives. So they have ot keep on driving even when they are very old.
And as for most TDVL holders being 40 and above, this clearly shows that the job market for this group are not as rosy as the government have made it out to be, thus most turning to driving a taxi to earn a living. Is this healthy for Singapore?
