Singapore’s Uber and Grab drivers now need vocational license
Drivers from ride hire services such as Uber and Grab will be required to get vocational licences under amendments to the Road Traffic Act (RTA). The amendments were made in Parliament on Tuesday (7 Feb).
Operators can be fined up to $10,000 for not ensuring that their drivers are licensed, and suspended for up to one month if their drivers flout the rules three or more times in a a year.
By the middle of this year, drivers will also need to display a decal identifying their vehicle as a private-hire vehicle, and have their vehicle registered with the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The measures were first announced last April, during the Ministry of Transport’s (MOT) Committee of Supply debate. Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said on 12 April 2016 that private-hire car drivers will need to apply for a Private Hire Car Vocational Licence (PDVL), which requires at least two years of driving experience.
Applicants who are Singapore citizens must be registered owners of a chauffeured-services company, or employed by a limousine company.
The PDVL course will last about 10 hours, and drivers will be subject to a demerit point system.
“Our regulations are not overly onerous. Service operators like Uber and Grab will agree that these are necessary for the interest of commuters,” said Ng in Parliament.
