Cabby lives out of taxi in Singapore after being stranded by Malaysia lockdown

Malaysia's lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak in March saw many displaced workers in Singapore, most of whom had been crossing the Causeway daily to get to work.

While many companies have arranged accommodations for their workers (some in hotels, even), one taxi driver has not been as lucky.

Facebook user Alvin Koh and his colleague had called for a private hire vehicle on April 11 when they met a Trans-cab taxi driver.

Upon boarding the taxi, the cabby began telling them his story — he had been sleeping in the car since the lockdown, alleging that his company had done little to help him.

"His taxi company is not doing anything for his accommodations or whatsoever other than waiving off the taxi rent for a month," Koh wrote.

Despite his best efforts to find a place to stay, the cabby said he had found the options "relatively expensive" and had to resort to sleeping in his taxi.

Although the driver is a Singaporean, he lives in Johor Bahru, Koh added. While the reason for this wasn't mentioned, Koh speculated that the cabby has a family to feed and hence, made the decision to stay behind and continue working in Singapore.

Spending the night in the confines of his vehicle wasn't the only obstacle the taxi driver faced.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/alvinaragonkoh/videos/pcb.2165910713554752/2165910476888109/?type=3&theater[/embed]

In a video Koh shared, the driver talked about how he'd go to the casinos near Sentosa, or somewhere near Woodlands Checkpoint, to use the shower facilities that are open to the public.

He too, like many other taxi drivers, is also afraid of eating inside the taxi. Instead, he'd hide in a quiet spot out of fear that someone would take a photo of him and shame him online for not eating at a proper place.

As of April 11, the Ministry of Health has clarified that taxi drivers and food delivery riders are allowed to eat in public spaces or in their vehicles if it is not practical for them to return home.

AsiaOne has reached out to Trans-cab Services for comment.

rainercheung@asiaone.com