For the sake of her three children, she switched jobs from being a secretary to a taxi driver.

Her husband complimented her career move by becoming a taxi driver himself and they even became partners at work.

Four years ago, Mdm Yu Xiu Yun, 37, resigned from her secretarial job to pursue a career in the male-dominated taxi driving industry.

At the job interview, she said she had grown tired of her former job and resigned to spend time at home taking care of her children who were still schooling.

Mdm Yu loves to challenge herself and learn new tasks. One day, she saw an article about getting a taxi driver's license and, acting on impulse, decided to make an attempt. She obtained it on her first try and thus changed her career path.

She says that although the hours are longer, the salary that a taxi driver earns could exceed that of a secretary's two to three thousand dollars. The working hours of the job are also more flexible compared to a typical office job. This allowed her to make arrangements to care more for her children's needs.

Although there is a world of difference between being a taxi driver and a secretary - one active and the other sedentary - Mdm Yu thinks that her days as a secretary has given her experience that has helped her in her current job. She credits her previous job for giving her interpersonal and financial management skills.

She chooses to drive at night as her eyes hurt after being exposed during the day to the sun. Her husband was initially worried for her safety, but knowing that she knew how to take care of herself helped put him at ease.

She revealed that her husband also changed careers from a manual labourer two years ago to a taxi driver too. Now, they make a living on the road together.

They drive the same taxi, switching shifts when day becomes night.

Mdm Yu says with a laugh that she is the more hardworking one, earning an income that is double that of her husband's each month.

She has since met passengers of all kinds. There was once a foreign passenger asked her to accompany him for drinks, gamely saying that he would pay for the entire day's fare.

Mdm Yu firmly refused, saying that she has a family and told him to behave himself.

She also thinks that her present job had made her many new friends. As a result, she has gained more experience and her life has been enriched.

Was there a passenger who left a deep impression on her?

"There was an old woman, with branded cars at home, and servants, but often calls a taxi, she carries no money with her, only a credit card." said Mdm Yu.

After picking her up, Mdm Yu realised that the old woman had poor memory. She had to spend considerable time communicating with the old woman to figure out where her destination was.

"I noticed that she was always alone and had difficulty moving around. Eventually I took pity on her. Sometimes, when she wants to buy something, she would call me. I would buy it for her and send it to her home."