A study by SMU Associate Professor of Computer Science Cheng Shih-Fen showed that taxi drivers’ working hours are significantly higher than those of private-hire drivers. Making comparisons across three periods – pre-pandemic, the post-pandemic recovery in 2021, and the present – he observed that most cabbies are also working as many hours now as they did prior to the onset of Covid-19. His study also found that there were significantly more private-hire drivers who worked short hours in 2021, compared to pre-pandemic levels. This resulted in much fewer working hours per driver. Thus, he believes owning a fleet of taxis could help stabilise the total supply of drivers for ride-hailing operators.