The police have reminded taxi drivers that they shouldn’t take the law into their own hands with regards to Uber and GrabCar drivers, and that they should instead lodge a police report for the cops to take the necessary action, Bernama reports.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa said this to reporters when asked to comment on a viral video of taxi drivers attacking two vehicles in downtown KL last week – the vehicles were allegedly working under the umbrella of the transportation network companies (TNC).
It was reported that taxi drivers were ‘arresting’ Uber and GrabCar drivers picking up and dropping off riders in the KLCC area, apparently detaining more than seven drivers working for the transportation network companies.
In response to the call by police to desist from direct action, taxi operators said they didn’t agree with such behaviour, but could not stop drivers from acting.
“Of course, we do not agree, but when people are angry, we do not know what can happen,” Big Blue Premium Taxi adviser Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail said, adding that the taxi drivers should have instead taken smarter indirect measures such as recording events and handing it over to the authorities.
He said that around 300 taxi drivers registered under the company operating in the KLCC areas had lamented that their average income had gone down by 30% over the last couple of months. The report adds that Shamsubahrin claimed that lack of enforcement by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) against these TNCs had caused some taxi drivers to take the law into their own hands.
Meanwhile, 500 drivers working under Silver Cab have urged SPAD to deactivate the Uber and Grabcar applications (apps). Stating that the services offered by the two companies were considered illegal, they said that the commission could take such action with the cooperation of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Doing so was the best solution to discourage the public from using such illegal services, Silver Cab manager Adnan Mohamad told Bernama. “We have voiced the issue to SPAD but its response was that only the MCMC can terminate the applications,” he said.
Adnan did however add that licenced taxi drivers needed to change their attitude and be more disciplined in order to encourage consumers to use their services. He said that around 15% of the taxi drivers under his management were still headstrong and lacked discipline.
Yesterday, SPAD said that taxi drivers should focus their efforts into improving their services and image instead of protesting against ride-sharing services such as Uber, GrabCar and the like. “Taxi drivers must find ways to improve their services such as providing a comfortable ride, be friendly and use a fare meter,” a SPAD spokesman was reported as saying.
“They need to understand that it is they who opened up the opportunity for alternative ride services to rise because of their poor services to passengers. Not only is their action against the law, but they have also created a negative perception of themselves with their gangster-like attitude,” the spokesman added.
“We don’t encourage taxi drivers to take matters to their own hands as they don’t have a legal right to do so. Each action taken must be according to the law and everyone must respect the law.”
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Then why don’t you do something about it?
Picking fight, con tourists, reckless driving… they are the best. Provide good taxi service? Harder than bringing Proton Hybrid back from planet Mars.
UBER and GRABCAR also thugs taxi driver, only white collar compared blue collar to others…..
Meter tak nak pakai? bising lebih… sapa nak naik..perangai buruk giler pemandu teksi merah di klcc ni. kita kena pergi ke avenue k atau wisma central untuk naik teksi yang pakai meter.
ATNO – All Talk No Action
See, police are also humans and use grabcar and uber. Dont play play.
why ambush Uber and Grabcar drivers? why are these so called blue cab drivers not arresting the red&white taxi by the roadside? never use meter, stinks of alcohol and cigarettes. dirty taxi, uncomfortable rides.
Consumers are king. Intelligent consumers can help by supporting UBER and GRABCAR drivers who are sincere and honest in providing the service. Those thugs taxi drivers are already showing the ugly side of them. Let them face their own music and see whether they repent.
these taxi drivers don’t want to sign up with uber because they don’t want to be rated. if their riders rate them bad, their service will be terminated.
Government should enforce laws where taxi drivers must register and be rated by riders. weed out those bad apples and only keep the good drivers.
Taximen apprehending Ubermen. Legal definition = illegal. Rakyat definition = illegal.
Uber/Grabcar way of doing business. Legal definition = illegal. Rakyat definition = its okays. Legal. Dihalalkan.
So, by your reckoning, the way existing taxi drivers are operating = legal, dihalalkan?
Just go back to driving your taxi or dating with your taxi driver boyfriend.. I don’t think anyone shares the same warped opinion as you..
Look at the comments supporting Uber and dissing taximen. Am I wrong with the statement above?
Over a three day period on a visi to KL I took nine taxi rides – 8 Exec and one Budget. All used their meter, one played with phones/gadgets all the time and another went the long way round to get to KL Sentral [an extra RM11]. Can’t wait for the MRT to open.
Wow you need to get a smart phone and install the aps…
Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail.
Isn’t he the want found guilty in the NFC cheating and money laundering case?
Most of leaders involved in money laundering n cheating ppl money… As long as there is a nasi lemak management, there wont be any gud to country n its ppl!
So the taxi drivers dont want to do their job but wont let other people do their’s too???? typical entitled assholes…