A bumpy ride for well-paid anti-epidemic cabbies
Money is good but drivers have to put up with stares and discrimination
The money was good, so Ho Waisum, 58, signed up as an anti-epidemic taxi driver ferrying Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms to and from outpatient clinics in the city.
Two weeks into the job, however, he is still disturbed by the looks he gets from strangers, discriminatory treatment and being targeted by social media users who post pictures and ask if the cabbies are being lazy or point out those not wearing their masks while chatting among themselves.
“I feel very bad about the strange looks and the smearing online,” he told the Post, dressed in his full kit of mask, goggles, face shield and gown.
“What have we done wrong? We only have breakfast before working for hours, but people seem to think we should be confined to our vehicles without any breaks.”
He has taken to buying takeaway meals and eating while leaning against his taxi. “Some restaurants have turned us away because their patrons don’t like us eating near them,” he said.
With Hong Kong facing an explosion of Covid-19 cases in the city’s fifth wave of infections, patients with mild symptoms are being sent to seven designated outpatient clinics to ease the load on the public health care system.
Ho is among about 380 cabbies in the so-called anti-epidemic fleet set up two weeks ago to provide an exclusive service for coronavirus patients from 9am to 6pm daily, and their taxis are identified by labels on their exterior.
The drivers, who have all had two shots of a Covid-19 vaccine, are paid about HK$3,000 a day, part of which goes to the vehicle owners as rent.
This can add up to a monthly income of about HK$70,000, much more than their average earnings during the pandemic.
Ho, who is married with no children, said he signed up because his earnings had shrunk considerably as strict social-distancing measures kept people at home.
“It is all for the money. I have to pay rent of HK$6,000 a month and support my elderly parents,” he said.
He spent his first week sleeping in his cab, because he feared getting infected and passing the coronavirus to his wife. But it proved unbearable and he gave up.
“I couldn’t stand it any longer,” he said. “I’ve taken all the precautions, so I think it is not so risky returning home.”
Then there was the day an elderly passenger vomited in his cab and he spent hours cleaning and disinfecting the vehicle.
“I sighed and asked myself why I was in this situation. I felt sorry for myself,” he said. “This is all for survival. No matter how hard it is, I will persist.”
Cabby Keung Sik-chuen, 42, said he felt bad when people stared or pointed at him when he stepped out of his taxi to have lunch at restaurants or go to the toilet.
“People looked at us and questioned why the anti-epidemic taxi drivers were allowed to gather and have lunch together. They treated us like we were Covid-19 patients,” he said.
But there have also been times when passengers and others showed their support and appreciation for what he was doing.
Some patients told him to “add oil” – the Hong Kong expression of encouragement – while others tipped him.
“It is very difficult for the patients to get transport and I will try to help as much as I can,” he said.
Like Ho, he was attracted by the pay as he had to support his family with two children and pay a monthly rent of HK$10,000.
“It’s really not that risky with all the protective measures. To minimise the risk at home, I stay in a separate room and eat apart from my family,” he said.
Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the first fortnight of the anti-epidemic taxi operation had run smoothly, with good feedback from passengers who praised the drivers for being helpful and polite.
“About 10 drivers became infected, but I believe they will get well soon and come back to work,” he said.
Chau noted the public was gradually getting used to the presence of the designated drivers.
For cabby Fung Chi-yui, 54, the hardest part was being in his protective gown all day.
“Recently the weather has become warmer. I feel stifled wearing the protective gear all the time and get sweaty easily,” he said.