Taxi drivers/cabbies in Singapore

Over the last 1 week I had to travel by taxi to do some part time work. The fare was paid by the company that engaged me.

The story here is not about my job but rather about the taxi drivers who ferried me to work vice versa.

I noticed that all the cabs I was travelling in were driven by elderly men who were in their 60s.

At age over 60 years (won't say all but some), one's reflexes may be slow. Eyesight may not be as good as a young man and judgement on the road may not accurate. 

On one occasion, the taxi I was travelling in almost hit the car in front of us. The taxi driver had to make a sudden quick swerve to avoid hitting it. 

From my judgement, the whole incident was caused by the taxi driver. He was dreaming or not being attentive. He was travelling at a great speed whereas the car in front was travelling at the permitted speed of 90 kph.

Then on another occasion, the cabbie appeared to be half asleep as he hit the highway at 100 kph. I was so worried that I started to chat with him to keep him awake throughout the journey.

Just today as I was travelling home in another taxi, the driver appeared to be sick. He applied some ointment to his nose and started to breathe harder. Then he held the steering wheel with his right hand, swung and stretched his left hand as though he had a numbed left hand. All this was done as the cab was travelling at 90 kph.

I asked him if he was alright. He told me he had just eaten his meal with his friends and felt bad as he ate too much.

Seriously, these old cabbies scared the daylight out of me. For safety reasons, I think I would switch to Uber whereby the drivers are much younger and more alert.

NB: Cabbies are allowed to work till age 75 in Singapore.