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Former sales manager Mark Leow took a pay cut to become a taxi driver but still considers it a good move.
"I can do more for myself as a taxi driver than working for other people," said the 32-year-old Institute of Technical Education graduate in automotive repairs.
Mr Leow, who used to work in sales at a multinational company, declined to reveal his previous salary, but said he now earns more than $6,000 a month as a cabby.
As a MaxiCab driver with transport giant ComfortDelGro, he earns mainly from shuttling corporate clients, hotel guests and airport passengers in his seven-seater van. He says it is not impossible to earn a decent living from driving a cab - it is all about having the right attitude because the demand for taxis is always there.
"You go out on the street and you can see so many people waving their hands for a taxi," he said. "There is no downtime for us."
Mr Leow said making money as a cabby is all about knowing where to go.
For instance, there is no point for a cabby to wait for a fare in the city after going there in the morning, because hardly anyone will be heading out of town at that time.
"You have to go to where the people are," he said, adding that he would usually head to nearby neighbourhoods or stop at hotels looking for passengers heading to the airport after dropping a fare off in the city.
A typical day for him starts at 6am and ends around 6pm, though on some days he pulls a longer day and ends at 9pm. On Sundays, he rests.
On average, he earns about $300 a day after paying $155 for rental and $40 for fuel. He said although he earned more in his previous job, he also spent a lot of time away from home because of business trips overseas.
One of the perks of the job is that he can take time out during his work hours to meet his family for meals.
"Now, how much time I put in is how much I earn," said the father of a two-year-old girl.
He said being a taxi driver is similar to being an entrepreneur; he's his own boss without needing to pump in a lot of start-up capital.
"If you own a business, you have to be creative, advertise and worry about expanding," said Mr Leow, who lives in a five-room Housing Board flat in Choa Chu Kang. "Now all I'm doing is selling my service and my hard work."
As for taxi drivers not having such benefits as annual bonuses, medical leave and Central Provident Fund contributions, Mr Leow said he has to look after his affairs on his own.
"I have my own medical insurance and set aside money for retirement like I would if I was given CPF," he said. "It's just all about managing my money well."
Having observed more young men and women choosing to be cabbies, he said it is an attractive option for those who want to avoid the rat race.
"It's a renewal of the industry," he said, referring to the rising number of people like him who choose to be cabbies over regular jobs. "Just like in the 1960s when many young men joined the business."
For him, becoming a cabby was a career choice and not a stepping stone to another job or just something to do to pass the time. He said: "It is a fantastic industry to be in and I see a good future here."
