SINGAPORE: The year was 1978 and it was a day former private driving instructor Sunny Kang remembers vividly: One of his students stepped into his car for a lesson – wearing a wet swimsuit.
“She came to learn driving while wearing her swimsuit. The moment she stepped in, the whole car seat was wet,” said Mr Kang, 75, in Mandarin.
“I grumbled a bit and told her off, but she said that there was no time to change, so she just walked out to my car and began to drive,” said Mr Kang, still incredulous after over 40 years.
Mr Kang has had the same job for 48 years. It is such memories that he now holds dear as his career came to an end on Saturday (Apr 27), his 75th birthday and the age limit for private driving instructors.
Singapore had 305 private driving instructors as of March 2024, said the traffic police in response to queries from CNA. This is in stark contrast to the 1980s, when there were thousands of private driving instructors, Mr Kang estimated.
The dwindling number is largely because the police stopped issuing private driving instructor licences in 1987 when the first two driving schools were set up.
“The rationale for this was to align with the objective of having dedicated driving schools to provide structured training programmes for learner motorists with access to one-stop services and better training facilities,” said the police.
The three driving schools – Singapore Safety Driving Centre, Bukit Batok Driving Centre and ComfortDelGro Driving Centre – had a total of 723 instructors as of March this year.
In 2017, the age limit for driving instructors was raised from 70 to 75.
An average of 19 private driving instructor licences were invalidated annually from 2020 to last year, the traffic police said. The invalidations were mainly due to private instructors such as Mr Kang reaching 75 years old.
Other than Mr Kang, CNA also spoke to five private driving instructors. They say that in around 10 years, there will be no more private driving instructors in Singapore.
The instructors, who have from several weeks to 11 years left before their licence is invalidated, said that one aspect of the job they will miss is meeting and interacting with students from all walks of life.
They also hoped the government would consider either extending the age limit for driving instructors or giving out new licences, but knew this was unlikely.
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang points out an area to look out for as a CNA reporter drives on Apr 16, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
Mr Kang said he has had students of all stripes – from those with intellectual disabilities to even those who were heartbroken.
“Some students who were upset or had just ended a relationship, they even drove through red light at traffic junctions,” he said.
“I made them stop the car and they told me their problems.”
Like Mr Kang, 73-year-old Tony Ng said it is the variety of students he has taught that made his 30-over years as an instructor as interesting as they have been.
Almost all of his students come to him through recommendations by his previous students.
“Every day I meet all kinds of different people, all with very different personalities,” he told CNA in Mandarin.
“Depending on their personality, I adjust my teaching style … some students are shy and don’t want to talk, while others are talkative. Some are fast learners, others slower.”
Mr Peter Fong, who has been a private driving instructor for over 30 years, finds fulfilment when he chances upon a former student.
“Even over 10 years later, some students still wave at me when they see me,” said the 68-year-old.
“Sometimes (past students) bring their children to me, (and) they say ‘I want my son to learn from you,” he said. “This makes me very happy.”
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang shows a hand-drawn illustration he used to teach students how to park a car. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
While they have found meaning in their careers, many instructors said what first attracted them to the job was the bigger paycheck.
Mr Kang began teaching driving part-time in the mid-1970s when he was 27. Back then, driving instructors did not need a certificate to teach, but he attained one in 1979 before becoming a full-time instructor.
Before that, he was doing odd jobs such as in construction and as a swimming coach.
His income as a driving instructor was three to four times more than what he made in his previous jobs, he said.
Working from 7.30am to as late as midnight daily, he made S$3,000 to S$4,000 (US$2,200 to US$2,900) a month in the 1970s. More recently, he took home S$10,000 to S$15,000 a month – working the same hours – as he now charges higher fees with inflation and rising car prices.
“With this job, I was able to raise children and buy a house,” he said.
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang guides a student during a driving lesson on Apr 11, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
Other instructors CNA spoke to said they have heard of some working 15 hours a day, seven days a week, who earn upwards of S$20,000.
Such high earnings are possible with the lack of competition as no new instructor licences have been given out in over 30 years, they said. But demand for private instructors remains steady, meaning most of them have a constant stream of students.
According to 74-year-old private instructor Alan Lee, the figures check out. Each lesson costs about S$50 an hour, and when taking a driving test, a student has to fork out another S$350 to the instructor.
This means that if an instructor works 12 hours a day, they can earn S$600 or S$4,200 a week, excluding driving test charges. Even accounting for vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, it wouldn't be too difficult to make a five-figure monthly salary.
But such compensation is well justified, said Mr Lee.
“The job is very dangerous. You teach a fella who does not know how to drive, from the beginning to the end when they pass (their driving test),” he said.
The private driving instructors, as well as the Singapore Driving Instructor Association that represents them, said they worry that with fewer and eventually no private instructors left, future students will have fewer options to learn driving.
Association chairman Poh Ah Kiong told CNA that all students will have to go to driving schools when all the private instructors eventually retire.
The association has just 220 active members left, and the number is falling, he said.
It has been asking the police to issue new instructor licences for the past 30 years, but to no avail, he added.
“It will affect the students because they have no choice, they have to go to the schools when they can’t get a private instructor.”
He said that private instructors are more flexible with the timing of lessons. They do not have to follow a strict lesson plan, so they can tailor the classes to students of various learning speeds and abilities.
In contrast, the driving schools have a set lesson plan. So even those with previous driving experience, such as foreigners, will have to go through the same lessons, he said.
But these are factors beyond their control, say the private driving instructors, many of whom already have one eye on retirement.
Mr Kang, who has just officially retired from his 48-year career, said he will hand his current students over to his colleagues, and then take a holiday in Taiwan to celebrate his retirement.
Beyond that, it is an open road.
“I can teach a driving refresher course (for drivers who already have a licence), or I can even teach swimming classes again.”
As for Mr Lee, who turns 75 in May, he is “taking it easy” for his final weeks on the job, working just five to six hours a day.
“Actually it’s a hobby, I like to teach people to pass the time,” he said. “I want to see them drive properly and safely on the roads. It’s not really about the money.”
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“She came to learn driving while wearing her swimsuit. The moment she stepped in, the whole car seat was wet,” said Mr Kang, 75, in Mandarin.
“I grumbled a bit and told her off, but she said that there was no time to change, so she just walked out to my car and began to drive,” said Mr Kang, still incredulous after over 40 years.
Mr Kang has had the same job for 48 years. It is such memories that he now holds dear as his career came to an end on Saturday (Apr 27), his 75th birthday and the age limit for private driving instructors.
Singapore had 305 private driving instructors as of March 2024, said the traffic police in response to queries from CNA. This is in stark contrast to the 1980s, when there were thousands of private driving instructors, Mr Kang estimated.
The dwindling number is largely because the police stopped issuing private driving instructor licences in 1987 when the first two driving schools were set up.
“The rationale for this was to align with the objective of having dedicated driving schools to provide structured training programmes for learner motorists with access to one-stop services and better training facilities,” said the police.
The three driving schools – Singapore Safety Driving Centre, Bukit Batok Driving Centre and ComfortDelGro Driving Centre – had a total of 723 instructors as of March this year.
In 2017, the age limit for driving instructors was raised from 70 to 75.
An average of 19 private driving instructor licences were invalidated annually from 2020 to last year, the traffic police said. The invalidations were mainly due to private instructors such as Mr Kang reaching 75 years old.
Other than Mr Kang, CNA also spoke to five private driving instructors. They say that in around 10 years, there will be no more private driving instructors in Singapore.
The instructors, who have from several weeks to 11 years left before their licence is invalidated, said that one aspect of the job they will miss is meeting and interacting with students from all walks of life.
They also hoped the government would consider either extending the age limit for driving instructors or giving out new licences, but knew this was unlikely.
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang points out an area to look out for as a CNA reporter drives on Apr 16, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
THE STUDENTS MAKE THE JOB INTERESTING
Mr Kang said he has had students of all stripes – from those with intellectual disabilities to even those who were heartbroken.
“Some students who were upset or had just ended a relationship, they even drove through red light at traffic junctions,” he said.
“I made them stop the car and they told me their problems.”
Like Mr Kang, 73-year-old Tony Ng said it is the variety of students he has taught that made his 30-over years as an instructor as interesting as they have been.
Almost all of his students come to him through recommendations by his previous students.
“Every day I meet all kinds of different people, all with very different personalities,” he told CNA in Mandarin.
“Depending on their personality, I adjust my teaching style … some students are shy and don’t want to talk, while others are talkative. Some are fast learners, others slower.”
Mr Peter Fong, who has been a private driving instructor for over 30 years, finds fulfilment when he chances upon a former student.
“Even over 10 years later, some students still wave at me when they see me,” said the 68-year-old.
“Sometimes (past students) bring their children to me, (and) they say ‘I want my son to learn from you,” he said. “This makes me very happy.”
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang shows a hand-drawn illustration he used to teach students how to park a car. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
"COMFORTABLE" SALARIES
While they have found meaning in their careers, many instructors said what first attracted them to the job was the bigger paycheck.
Mr Kang began teaching driving part-time in the mid-1970s when he was 27. Back then, driving instructors did not need a certificate to teach, but he attained one in 1979 before becoming a full-time instructor.
Before that, he was doing odd jobs such as in construction and as a swimming coach.
His income as a driving instructor was three to four times more than what he made in his previous jobs, he said.
Working from 7.30am to as late as midnight daily, he made S$3,000 to S$4,000 (US$2,200 to US$2,900) a month in the 1970s. More recently, he took home S$10,000 to S$15,000 a month – working the same hours – as he now charges higher fees with inflation and rising car prices.
“With this job, I was able to raise children and buy a house,” he said.
Retired private driving instructor Sunny Kang guides a student during a driving lesson on Apr 11, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)
Other instructors CNA spoke to said they have heard of some working 15 hours a day, seven days a week, who earn upwards of S$20,000.
Such high earnings are possible with the lack of competition as no new instructor licences have been given out in over 30 years, they said. But demand for private instructors remains steady, meaning most of them have a constant stream of students.
According to 74-year-old private instructor Alan Lee, the figures check out. Each lesson costs about S$50 an hour, and when taking a driving test, a student has to fork out another S$350 to the instructor.
This means that if an instructor works 12 hours a day, they can earn S$600 or S$4,200 a week, excluding driving test charges. Even accounting for vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, it wouldn't be too difficult to make a five-figure monthly salary.
But such compensation is well justified, said Mr Lee.
“The job is very dangerous. You teach a fella who does not know how to drive, from the beginning to the end when they pass (their driving test),” he said.
FEWER OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS, ASSOCIATION SAYS
The private driving instructors, as well as the Singapore Driving Instructor Association that represents them, said they worry that with fewer and eventually no private instructors left, future students will have fewer options to learn driving.
Association chairman Poh Ah Kiong told CNA that all students will have to go to driving schools when all the private instructors eventually retire.
The association has just 220 active members left, and the number is falling, he said.
It has been asking the police to issue new instructor licences for the past 30 years, but to no avail, he added.
“It will affect the students because they have no choice, they have to go to the schools when they can’t get a private instructor.”
He said that private instructors are more flexible with the timing of lessons. They do not have to follow a strict lesson plan, so they can tailor the classes to students of various learning speeds and abilities.
In contrast, the driving schools have a set lesson plan. So even those with previous driving experience, such as foreigners, will have to go through the same lessons, he said.
But these are factors beyond their control, say the private driving instructors, many of whom already have one eye on retirement.
Mr Kang, who has just officially retired from his 48-year career, said he will hand his current students over to his colleagues, and then take a holiday in Taiwan to celebrate his retirement.
Beyond that, it is an open road.
“I can teach a driving refresher course (for drivers who already have a licence), or I can even teach swimming classes again.”
As for Mr Lee, who turns 75 in May, he is “taking it easy” for his final weeks on the job, working just five to six hours a day.
“Actually it’s a hobby, I like to teach people to pass the time,” he said. “I want to see them drive properly and safely on the roads. It’s not really about the money.”
Continue reading...