SINGAPORE: A recent social post where a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver posted his earnings for last year has received a lot of attention, especially since it appears that the man’s monthly pay amounted to around three times the median income in Singapore.
In a post on the SGRV FRONT MAN Facebook page on Feb 21 (Saturday), a screenshot of a Gojek Driver Annual Earnings Summary was posted, with the driver’s name and email address redacted.
It showed the total payout from the driver’s trip earnings, tips, and bonuses of S$194,089.27. After the service fee from Gojek of S$15,469.03, along with other deductions of S$153, were taken away from the total, it meant that the driver was left with a net earning of S$178, 467.24.
As pointed out in the caption of the post, it meant that the driver took home about S$14,800 each month, a substantial amount.
The median monthly income for full-time employed residents of Singapore is S$5,775, which includes employer contributions to CPF. This means that a typical worker in Singapore earns approximately S$69,300 per year.
If the screenshot is real, the Gojek driver was paid a salary that is even higher than that of degree holders, who earn approximately S$9,038 per month.
A number of commenters on the post expressed admiration for the Gojek driver, with one calling him a “warrior” and another writing that he can easily afford to buy a condominium.
Others, however, wondered if the screenshot had been manipulated somehow, saying they thought it was a fake.
“Even if someone works every single day, ride-hailing drivers in Singapore typically earn $4k–$10k+ per month, depending on hours and incentives. This is fake,” wrote one.
However, those who took the post in good faith pointed out the many other expenses that private hire vehicle drivers have to face, as well as the toll on the driver’s body that the amount of work it takes to earn that much.
One noted that the driver still needs to pay for petrol, car instalments, maintenance, and other fees.
“Congrats! Petrol company, car rental, or bank loan, HDB, insurance companies all love you deep, deep… 60% of your hard-earned $178K (about $107K ) goes straight to them,” wrote one.
“Never indicate how many hours he worked to achieve that? People who see money never see the effort of more than 14 to 16 hours on the road each and every day. Sure, you can work like a madman, but for how long? One day your body will break down,” noted another. /TISG
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