The LTA has announced on 10 June 2021 that it is extending the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF) from July 2021 for another three months to support taxi and PHC drivers.

This new increase of support comes despite the recent announcement that the government will embark on a calibrated reopening starting from 14 June 2021, which is expected to increase taxi and Private Hire Car (PHC) ridership over the coming months.

Under this extended CDRF, eligible taxi and PHV drivers will receive Government support of $10 a day for another 60 days, and $5 a day for the next 30.

The extension is expected to cost the Government an additional $40 million, while benefiting over 50,000 drivers. On top of the Government's assistance, taxi operators have also pledged to continue providing matching rental waivers of at least $12 million in total for the duration of the extended CDRF.

This extension comes on top of the already substantial $188 million that the Government has committed under the first tranche of the CDRF to provide targeted assistance to active taxi and PHC drivers between January and June 2021.

An additional $27 million was also then set aside to provide taxi and PHC drivers with a one-off top-up from 16 May to end June 2021 in view of the ridership impact from tighter safe management measures during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert). In total, the Government has committed a whopping $255 million towards the CDRF scheme.