Following on a report that more and more taxi drivers are leaving the industry by the day for the likes of Uber and GrabCar, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has said that the taxi industry has to respond by proving that it is the service the public wants, The Star reports.
The commission’s chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, said he doubted that taxi drivers would leave the industry in droves as half of them were from companies, but acknowledged that taxi drivers had to prove they were the better choice compared to such transportation network companies (TNC).
It had been reported that taxi drivers, citing falling number of passengers and ever-increasing operating costs, had been moving over to work with the TNCs.
“People must want to take taxis. Otherwise, they will take the risk of going to unlicensed operators,” he told the publication. According to a SPAD survey done last year, more than half the respondents said they didn’t feel safe riding in a taxi, and 50% said they were forced to take taxis which did not use the meter. The other primary complaints were that it was almost impossible to get a taxi in bad weather and during peak hours.
Speaking on the subject of the TNCs, Syed Hamid said that enforcement was proving a difficult task. He said that since SPAD only had 300 staff, it would be impossible to go after every private fare-charging car, the report added.
“Uber and GrabCar have become so arrogant. They even asked us to license all the private cars,” he said, adding that Uber’s plan to license 10,000 more drivers by the end of the year would result in too many taxis on Malaysia’s streets. Syed Hamid said that at present, there were already more than 37,000 taxis in Kuala Lumpur alone.
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Government must study why Uber car get attraction for public.
When rush hour, want to order a taxi is impossible
the taxi driver will not take the customer
even you using MYTaxi
If so why want to stop Uber, let us decide want to take taxi or uber car
If insurance not cover we take our own risk
Unfortunately Malaysia, like every other countries, does not have an indemnity contract with its citizen. There’s no “Use at Your Own Risk” legality bullshit.
Even if you sign blood contract with Uber to absolve the Gov of any suit if you KO while using their service, legally speaking your relatives & loved ones still can sue the Gov for not enforcing the law against Uber.
Moreover, since Uber is US-based, its almost impossible to lay down the law against them (overseas, different law system, US loophole-expert sharks). So the onus still falls on the Gov to compensate. Now which Gov is stupid enough to do it?
Nobody likes our teksi drivers because
1) Suka hati take passenger. They can decline you any time. I have hailed many teksi, they declined me. I put my girlfriend wearing short skirt further down the road, the teksi driver agree to take her. Same destination as me. But I was declined and she was taken. Proves the rumour that all teksi drivers are sex maniacs
Enough of the rude driver and its terrible ride! How could a nation use junk (Proton) as public transport?
In Indonesia and Thailand, ppl use Toyota as taxi, driver and passenger also happy.
If I have any Proton at home, I would dump it for free. Who wanna keep junk at home?
ya ka?
Sam Loo no business now everyday comment here to keep himself sane, otherwise he will cry in his jamban car. Unfortunate for him, the sound insulation is so poor, walk in customers can hear his wails and straight run to P1/Honda showrooms.
Taxi Industry / taxi cronnies…what SPAD means is that they need you to do “something special” for them so that they can justify your existence.
Look at me…. You want me such a ton animal to sit in the tiny rear passenger seat of Wira/Iswara?
Nono…. I need roomy taxi to fit all my handbags.
I dont want a small taxi it will mess up my thousands ringgit mushroom hair!
Malaysian style….if you cant control ilegal, create a law to legalise them!
example: 6P for ilegal foreign worker. Find a way to legalise UBER taxi pls.
Dei thambi SPAD,
Its not Taxi driver need to change/improve, its u r the one supposed to change. U let cronies own the permit n rent it to taxi drivers. Its you implement high tax n payment to own the taxi… Even to get taxi permit, need to give Donation to you. Change urself first so others will follow you. The reason Taxi drivers is corrupted is YOU! You cant change anyway. You are just like our gomen..