The news that five Uber drivers have been caught by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) is just the beginning. Malay Mail reports that JPJ will continue its crackdown on drivers and cars affilated to the personal driver app, which has been growing in popularity with urbanites.
“We managed to catch five cars on the first day of our operation but we are facing some hiccups as we are unable to access the Uber application. We suspect Uber has made its low-cost UberX private driver service unavailable to new customers,” said Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad, JPJ’s director-general.
Despite the hiccup, the department suspects that Uber services are still available for loyal customers.
“RTD will continue the crackdown. We are working on countering their blocking methods. We know they are still providing the service to their loyal customers but are unable to estimate how many are still on the streets,” Ismail added.
Earlier this week, five Uber drivers were involved in JPJ’s operasi. One was a private vehicle while the others were commercial hire-and-drive cars. The lone ranger had his Honda Accord seized for 30 days pending investigation, and could be facing a possible fine of up to RM10,000 and a prison sentence. Documents of the four other cars were confiscated for further investigation by SPAD.
Uber has been on a collision course with public transport regulators and taxi operators in many cities across the globe – KL isn’t the only roadblock it’s facing. What do we think of this “Uber issue”? Opinion here.
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Cheeky of JPJ to go undercover just to catch uber drivers.
There are tons of errant, rude, over charging and reckless taxi drivers out there. Why not catch them first?
Shooting the messenger? Yes continue the stupidity please.
Anything against cronies’ pocket? Take action!
Anything illegal but cronies can earn more? Tak apalah, tak nampak pon.
not choice, Uber not UNO linked company.
Good to show tourist our lousy Taxi vehicle (very poor condition Iswara/Saga/Persona) as represent image of a 3rd world country.
Airport Limousine same worst, 20yrs old poor condition from various of brands with very small boot, can’t even cater tourists big luggages forced 2~3 tourist to take 2 taxis instead of 1.
THAI: normally C~D segment in good condition. eg ACCORD
Singapore: D segment in good quality & condition
Malaysia: B`segment small space small boot poor condition 20yrs old car
Agree!Please throw all the Poton Ga ga taxi..
If taxi service in malaysia is frequent, affordable, good, honest, punctual & comfortable, no one will bother to use this uber thing..
the country is about monopolized economic by the cronies…any free competition will be crack down.
The uber service is also available at major cities in the world like london, ny & singapore. Are u telling me that their taxi services are poor too?
In Singapore, taxi would not pick you up during peak hours, they want you to do phone booking so they can charge you extra. The problem with us foreigners, you cannot do phone booking because your phone number is international and they only accept local phone number only.
5 because this 5 fella didn’t bribe the JPJ guy
JPJ go on to catch the wrong suspect..
shld stop all those using >10years old car as taxi instead..
i think leaders here need to rethink their strategy a bit and try not to crackdown everything that is “not following the standard protocols”.
instead of banning and make them public enemy no.1, why not find a flexible and brilliant way to work something out with them, so there’s a win-win situation for everyone? it’s not like somewhere like KL doesn’t need more taxi service or something…..
What a bunch of idiots, these JPJ.
Place your hand on your heart, and look at us in the eye JPJ, tell us, how long has Uber been in Malaysia? Nearly a year. Don’t lie.
When did the crackdown start? Just recently. And why? Don’t lie by saying it was not because of the GABUNGAN fools who want to keep fleecing customers with their crappy modified taxis and Need for Speed like driving.
I’m sorry JPJ, but I would actually purposely want to use Uber now, because I see them doing the job better and are independent. While I will support the taxi drivers I know personally, I will not be willing to call Sunlight or some other radio taxi ever again. You should be ashamed of yourself JPJ, instead of giving guidelines to Uber to follow, i.e. insurance matters and registrations, with a decent time frame for them to comply (after all you all like to delay everything, even the car tint thing), I would be certain that Uber would be willing to sign on. If this had happened and Uber refused to sign on, then fair enough. But in this case, JPJ looks like a bunch of bullies employed by the lazy ones in GABUNGAN to remove competition.
And this is why we’ll never move forward. Idiots. If GABUNGAN saw the future, they would instead work harder, which will indirectly cause the taxi companies to start to reduce their rental costs in order to attract more people to join and compete strongly with Uber. But as we all know, these people are stuck in the past.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/10/17/Taxi-driver-arrested/
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/In-Other-Media/2014/10/15/students-taxi-gunpoint/
Macam ni nak suruh orang naik teksi, F U JPJ.
Konon worry about safety, no insurance blabla. Cakap tak serupa bikin. Rogol, bunuh, rompak passngers, Msian taxi can fark off and die.
Can JPJ go crack down on the reckless driving of the buses, lorries, where speeding so damn fast and danger other drives?
also those 1000 years old buses and lorries that give out BLACK smoke?
Oh ya, MACC should check out why JPJ dont crack down those…
JPJ has enough time and resources to go undercover to catch Uber drivers; how come they can’t do the same to catch taxis who don’t use meters?
If the local authorities can’t even enforce our taxi drivers to follow the rules, why go after private drivers? If private drivers can give a better service and rate so be it. It’s about time such competition comes in as all this while the errant drivers think they are king on the road. I won’t be surprised next comes the bikers service that will pick up passengers and drop them at MRT stations.
why don’t they stop Thailand van taking passenger from malaysia to thailand and vice versa.
If JPJ officers could catch those bad taxi drivers like what they did on Uber drivers,the taxi service will never be so lousy in Msia now. They just ruin good things in big time and make bad guys laugh.
Tint issues don’t want to solve quickly and now catching the Uber drivers. Tsk, tsk, tsk…..
JPJ guys is just doing their job. Yes Malaysian taxi is shabby. Lets look at it this way. Our Taxi is dead cheap. Its like tuk tuk kind of cheap. If we want to ride on a proper taxi we can always get the blue or black with proper saloon taxi. Even that is consider cheap compared what I had in overseas. Stop complaining guys. JPJ never said that Uber is illegal. They are only illegal if they don’t enquire proper public transport licences. So I think JPJ is being fair. Just my opinion.
Fair? Why they are not so hardworking in catch those taxi drivers, but so fast to catch Uber? Definitely, JPJ are bias
Cheap?? Which country that you compared with? Don’t go too far.. compared to Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore, 90% of Malaysian Taxi 1.fare 2. Driver attitudes is the worst (even their Patrol/NGV are more expensive). Period – very disappointing
The latest episode of southpark is about Uber, i think they have done well to demonstrate how stupid opposing uber can be. Check it out guys.
hamid albab’s (i dont want to use real names) wife has so may taxi permits, she is earning 60,000 ringgit a month from the rental paid by taxi drivers.
now u know why taxis are charging higher. right?
when uber kacau the market, do you think they can easily earn 60K every month? this is only a sample of many other taxi permits given to cronies.
JPJ, please get a life and leave UBER alone.
There are many more dangerous, unscrupulous and unethical licensed taxi drivers in Malaysia, why not go after them?
me only rode 1-3x TAXISfor over 20 years becoz doesnt want to get RIPPED OFF, sometimes me rather walk further or take buses…luckily those 1-3 were honest taxi drivers who used meters trying to earn a decent living..me always give them extra tip or ask them to kip the changes…NOTE: read the Star paper today
about a robber posing as taxi driver to rob more..
I could say more, it just how low these officials like to be reflect to themselves and M’sian public does not have respect for you anymore. Like said before UBER drive can deny wrong doing, let the court to decided justice for the UBER drivers. Justice will prevail. Why our Minister of Transport has not say on this matter..a story to be probe.
I rather walk then ride bloody taxi scammers here.