GEORGE TOWN: Erratic hours and long-haul trips were the reasons why Ahmad Iswadi Arshad, 46, switched from driving a bus to a taxi a decade ago.
For eight years, he worked for an express bus company plying the Penang-Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur-Singapore and Kuala Lumpur-Hadyai trips.
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“While the pay was good, there were too many long-distance trips. I never got to see my family. I had to drive 10 to 12 hours daily for a full week,” he said.
Ahmad Iswadi, a father of four, said he rarely got to celebrate Hari Raya or family events, although he would get two weeks off every month.
“With age catching up, there were also body aches due to the extended driving hours. That’s why I made the switch to become an airport taxi driver,” he said.
Mohd Jafary Othman, 56, was also an express bus driver for a decade before quitting, saying he got exhausted behind the wheel.
“And there were changes in the regulations, which meant lesser income. Before that, we could do solo trips.
“But when the rules changed to make two drivers necessary for trips over 300km, we had to share the allowance as well.
“We did not earn much, and sometimes we took home between RM2,000 and RM3,000 for two weeks of wages, which included delivering packages too.
“We were usually off work for the other two weeks, so that was all we earned,” he said.
Mohd Jafary, who operates a driving school now, said the job came with plenty of responsibility but lesser remuneration.
“You are responsible for the safety of the passengers. There were times when we had to work 24 hours straight, making trips from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and back. It was exhausting, but we had to stay alert.
“It is not worth it unless you work in places like Singapore, where the routes are just around the island. Many drivers moved to work there,” he said.
In JOHOR BARU, Johor Trucking Association president Chai Pei Yoon said providing better working conditions and being fair to workers would help boost employment in the transport industry in the long run.
She said employment in the transportation industry in Johor has dropped by at least 20% since Covid-19 as many have decided to switch fields.
“They became ehailing food delivery riders during the movement control order period. They were able to earn between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month.
“After the pandemic restrictions, many lorry drivers also found work in Singapore due to the high currency exchange rate. All this led to a shortage of drivers,” she said in an interview.
The shortage of drivers, according to Chai, also affects many industries.
She welcomed a move to organise free training sessions to attract more people to join the transport industry, but said that it was only one way to resolve the problem.
“Collaboration between the government and NGOs can help promote jobs in the industry but we cannot expect instant results.
“To retain workers in the industry, it all boils down to the type of working environment bosses provide as well as the employer-employee relationship,” she said.
