SHE sits in a coffee shop with a laptop, receiving $50 and $10 notes from a steady line of men.

Their open transactions have drawn more than just the occasional curious stares from residents in the neighbourhood.

Some of them even called the press, wondering if she was running illegal soccer-betting services, given the current Euro 2008 fever.

But as it turns out, the woman is managing a fleet of yellow-top taxis.

Miss Patricia Ang, 42, hires them from private owners and rents them to other drivers.

ComfortDelgro had stopped running its fleet of yellow-top cabs since October last year.

This meant that individual owners had to manage their own taxis.

So in stepped Miss Ang and her father, Mr Ang Mot Yong to help some of these owners manage their cabs.

Among them, there are those who do not want to drive due to poor health or old age.

The Angs now manage about 30 cabs.

Mr Ang, 68, who used to be a cabby, said: 'Sometimes, a driver may find it hard to drive around all day, or to find a relief driver to take over.'

So by hiring these taxis from private owners, he can have the option of renting these taxis to his pool of ready drivers, who are licensed to drive taxis.

Mr Ang said: 'I figured the income for me is better this way than just driving a cab.'

He pays $80 a day to the cab owner for full-day use of the taxi. Then he rents it to two drivers, who take the day and night shifts, at $48 each.

That's $16 profit for one taxi, he said. Some of the money goes into paying for the cost of workshop maintenance, road tax and insurance.

SMALLER PROFIT MARGIN

Mr Ang said business used to be better before the insurance premium doubled late last year. His profit margin has now become smaller, but he declined to give details.

Once in a while, he also runs into the problem of 'bad debts', when drivers do not pay rent.

He said: 'Our rule is simple, you don't pay up today, you don't drive tomorrow. Unless it is really a hardship case, we can't allow the hirers to owe us money for too long.'

But he added that they do look at it case by case, such as when there is death in the family, or when someone is sick.

In the case of widow Hong Gek Ee, her late husband was unable to drive due to ill health and they leased their cab to Mr Ang for some form of income. (See other story.)

Madam Hong, 65, said: 'If not for Mr Ang, I don't know how we would have made it over the past few years. With his help, we managed to pull through the most difficult time.'

The taxi that previously belonged to her husband has been scrapped in February when the taxi licence expired.

Mr Ang said that flexible working hours is another reason why taxi owners go to him. He said: 'They don't have to commit to a full day and if they want to travel or need time off, they can do so.'

The mobile 'collection centre' where Miss Ang is at is a coffee shop opposite Block 8 Haig Road.

She is there every day, at two different time slots - from 9am to noon and 3pm to 6pm.

Miss Ang said: 'This way, it does not matter when drivers show up to pay the rental charges, as long as they do it within the day.'

The eldest of three daughters, Miss Ang lives in a four-room flat at Block 8.

When Miss Ang, who used to be a purchaser for a local jewellery store, started helping her father last year, she added a laptop as a working accessory.

She explained: 'I use it to update payment records regularly.

'It's easier for me to track which cab is available for rent when someone calls to enquire.'

Ironically, it was precisely the use of the laptop that had attracted the misunderstanding that she was an illegal bookie.

It did not help that some syndicates operating in coffee shops further down the vicinity in Geylang have beefed up operations using electronic gadgets such as palmtops as well.

Madam Sitinurul Ahmad, a resident who had just moved to Block 8 about six months ago, said: 'Aiyoh, I thought the woman was some bookie because she just sat there to collect money.

'I even warned my husband that he better not go to the coffee shop.'

Another resident at Block 6, Mr David Goh, was relieved the mystery has been solved.

'We've been suspicious of the whole operation, especially when you see men just queueing up to hand over money,' the retiree said.

'You don't even dare to ask around because you don't want to risk a bashing. But, good, now I can go there for my coffee instead of going all the way to the hawker centre in front.'

On the misunderstanding, Mr Ang said: 'We were quite shocked (that the residents were suspicious). But in some ways, we're glad we can clear the air.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on June 15, 2008.