From ferrying people to delivering goods

Many taxi drivers say they have lost up to 80% of their income since the movement control order came into effect.

PETALING JAYA: The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent movement control order (MCO) have led taxi drivers to doubling up as delivery men to eke out a living during the crisis.

Several taxi drivers FMT spoke to claim they have lost up to 80% of their income, and delivering groceries and documents helps supplement their income, even if it is a lot less than what they used to earn.

P Satthiyasilan does about 15 deliveries a day, earning less than RM50.

P Satthiyasilan, who has been a cabbie for the past decade, used to make RM200 a day ferrying passengers, and since the outbreak, he has lost 80% of his customers.

The father of one got the idea of delivering goods from other taxi drivers. He does about 15 deliveries, mostly groceries, a day, earning below RM50

“It’s not much but it’s better than nothing,” he said, adding that he does not find his new role strange since he is involved in charity work in church. “It’s goods instead of passengers.”

He said he will continue the service even after the MCO ends.

Abdul Halim Mohd Zin, who has been ferrying passengers for close to 10 years, said he earns about RM80 after cutting down on his 10- to 12-hour shifts following the Covid-19 outbreak.

He used to earn about RM200 a day previously.

Abdul Halim Mohd Zin says he will continue with the service even after the MCO is lifted.

So when his company mooted the idea of drivers ferrying goods instead, a majority went for it.

The father of three said taxi drivers needed a new initiative to survive, and this seemed like a good idea.

“We have no issues, and like it or not, we need to earn money,” he said, adding that he wished the initiative had started earlier.

Halim, who began delivering goods with PICKnGO, an app that links taxi drivers to customers, some 10 days ago, now makes a little over RM100 a day.

About 10,000 taxi drivers are said to be on this app.

And like Satthiyasilan, he intends to continue with delivering goods once the MCO is lifted.

“We need to go with the flow. We can’t rely on passengers these days,” he said.

Kelvin Yeoh says delivering goods is a safer option now.

Kelvin Yeoh, who has been a taxi driver for six years, started delivering food, documents and essential items two weeks ago. Sometimes, he still ferries passengers.

Like Halim, he jumped at the chance to adjust his service, saying it was an easy transition to make.

Yeoh said it was something he considered doing some time back. “After all, it’s going from one point to another.”

For now, delivering goods is also a safer option, he said, adding that no one could tell if a passenger was infected with Covid-19.

Yeoh said bringing up the matter with passengers would be difficult and could anger them. In some cases, he said, passengers do not wear face masks.

But while income is irregular – he makes one or two deliveries a day, which could be due to the lack of awareness of such a service – it is “still something”.

“I will still continue with the service post-MCO, it’s an added bonus,” he said. - FMT

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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