In the Blindspot: Time, Risks and Rewards in Singapore’s Ridesharing Industry

Abstract

Ridesharing companies like Uber and Grab have radically altered the terrain of the ride- hailing industry in a very short span of time. Much of the present research has focused mainly on the economic and technological impacts that ridesharing companies have on society. Yet, few studies have explored the social dimensions of this change, particularly the position of drivers in the new, often aradoxical, institutional arrangements of the gig economy. Due to this shift in the ride-hailing industry, drivers find themselves caught between multiple stakeholders, including the government and the companies that place different, and often conflicting demands on them. This thesis argues that the ridesharing industry is filled with paradoxes in which drivers have to precariously manage their time, risks and rewards to navigate the conflicting institutional arrangements in the industry. This thesis further asserts that the empowerment rhetoric perpetuated by ridesharing companies conceals how drivers are pressured to engage in risky behaviours for quick payoffs in this gig economy. As a result, little attention and intervention are given to safeguard the welfare of the drivers from these conflicting institutional arrangements, leaving drivers to fend for themselves and be subjected to greater risks. The paper reveals certain particularities of how the ridesharing industry operates in Singapore. An additional finding in this paper sheds light on the unique ridesharing context in Singapore that systematically discriminates against the ridesharing drivers who are senior and/or are not proficient in English. With the global normalization of the gig economy and the accelerated growth of the ridesharing industry in Singapore, this research takes on an increasing significance and relevance today.