“Eh boy, you see the news or not?” Uncle Teck started, his voice a mix of gravel and weariness. “Fuel price go up again. Every week climb, like climbing Bukit Timah Hill like that, no end one.”
The intern looked up, startled. “Oh, is it? I don’t really drive, Uncle.”
“You lucky lor,” Uncle Teck retorted, weaving expertly through a gap in the PIE traffic. “Last time full tank seventy plus can liao. Now? Almost hundred. My heart pain every time I pump. But you look at the fare—same! $9.20 leh. After Grab take 20%, I left what? Seven plus. Minus petrol, minus rental… I earn what? I earn air is it?”
“Cannot increase the fare meh?” the intern asked naively.
Uncle Teck let out a dry laugh. “Increase? If Grab increase fare, you all take MRT already lor! Then we wait under the tree for three hours no job. Now is ‘Fuel up to $3.40, Fare no up.’ How to earn? Last time I drive 8 hours can go home eat dinner with wife. Now I drive 12 hours, I only see the back of my wife’s head because she sleeping already.”
The Reality
Uncle Teck sighed, his frustration cooling into a dull simmer.
“People think we earn a lot because of ‘surge’ pricing. Surge only come when got big rain or New Year. But my stomach don’t wait for New Year to be hungry. Now we just ‘tahan’ (endure). Drive more, sleep less. If government don’t give rebate, I think next month I go deliver food with bicycle better. At least my legs no need BHP Ultimate 98.”
He pulled up at the drop-off point at Ion Orchard.
“Okay boy, reach already. Help me 5 star ah. If not, my ‘incentive’ also fly away.”
Key Takeaways from the Ground
| Factor | Status | Impact on Drivers |
| Petrol Cost | 📈 Increasing | Squeezing the daily take-home pay. |
| Platform Fares | ↔️ Stagnant | High competition keeps base fares low. |
| Rental Fees | 📈 High | Fixed costs remain a heavy burden. |
| The Result | 📉 Hardship | More hours on the road for the same “makan” money. |