According to a report by Bernama, “gangster” groups that claim to be from taxi companies, are said to be a threat to other taxi drivers’ safety and livelihoods. These groups that also include fellow taxi drivers, control major areas in Kuala Lumpur, forcing other taxi drivers to submit to their own set of requirements in order to operate in them.
Speaking to the news agency, Klang Valley Taxi Driver Action Committees Association chairman, Zailani Isausuludin claimed the “gangster” problem had existed for over 10 years. Throughout that time, these thuggish taxi drivers seemed to be impervious to any action against them by the authorities.
He said, “they have been controlling the areas which are public haunts such as shopping complexes, luxurious condominiums, premier hotels and the LRT stations. If we want to pick up passengers from the areas ‘controlled’ by them, we will first have to each pay RM200 a month to them for each area.”
If the taxi drivers did not comply with this demand, they would be threatened with physical harm and damage to their taxis, according to Zailani. This has forced taxi drivers to pay “area money” to these groups, by taking advantage of not using the meter and charging high fares, especially on foreign tourists in areas controlled by the “gangsters.”
Zulkiflie Aminuddin, a taxi driver, said these groups make it hard for taxi drivers operating within the Klang Valley to earn a healthy income. “It’s difficult to earn RM150 a day as our movements are restricted by these thuggish groups of taxi drivers,” he said, adding that taxi permits issued by SPAD allowed taxi drivers to pick up any passenger within the Klang Valley.
“For instance, recently I wanted to pick up a passsenger who made a booking through the MyTeksi application but when I drove to the waiting area of the shopping complex, I was prevented from picking up the passenger by a group of men who said only taxis with a special sticker were allowed to do so,” Zulkiflie recalled.
Zailani stated that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has been informed of this issue, but no action has been taken against these “gangster” taxi groups until today. The association also suggested that SPAD form a group of volunteers made up of selected taxi drivers, supported by a mobile unit in the hot spots to monitor such activites.
This is similar to the Road Transport Department’s Skuad Muda 1JPJ, which also carries out community service activities. Additionally, Zailani recommends SPAD to set up mobile stations in busy areas around the city centre such as Bukit Bintang including KL Pavilion, Jalan Petaling, Brickfields and KL Sentral to reduce the number of taxi drivers not using the meter.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think more should be done by the authorities to tackle this “gangster” problem? Have you ever encountered a situation as described above? Let us know in the comments below.
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Few months back, I was in Brickfields looking for a taxi to Damansara Heights. A few red and white iswara taxi parked along the road and drivers are chatting nearby. I asked one of them if interested. The answer I received was RM30, no meter. I said that’s crazy cause its near. He raised his voice and replied, take it or get lose. Then I walked to nearby YMCA and gotten into another taxi who willing to go by meter. How much I paid? RM9. I asked the pakcik, he said that’s normal and it will not stop.
So your question is My answer is Hell Yeah!
Not so bad. I kena from KL Sentral to KLCC RM250. I am a white man and I just came to Malaysia last year. I did not know it was so close buy.
Not the cabs are crying like children portraying there are triads and it is so hard to do business. Bunch of liars really.
I should have walked.
Your white man english sounds more like manglish…
Tipu pinya mah, pretend himself as a white man. Lol
SPAD notice on this incident BUT they choose silence and just leave “gangsters” taxi company drivers in-control of this madness…. SPAD lets “gangsters” company above the law???
They are part of SPAD. These are the same paid gangster that go against Uber.
RM 10 Fm brickfields to DH???…Are you sure as its 10km in distance
All are gangster
Sebenarnya, sayalah kingpin untuk semua gangster gangster.
Ini lah cara kami buat bisness di Malaysia.
Selain daripada itu, kami promote pelacuran di Malaysia. Setiap pelanggan kami bawak kepada pimp, kami dapat komisyen
Known fact for avert long time and nth has been done about it
Agree, maybe RM100 of the RM200 goes into his porket. Now RM100 is not enough so they decided to take action against them. Because now kopi money from big company like Uber is more tempting. Uber will make sure they get HIGH to get the permit.
And they keep wondering why uber and grab car are doing roaring business.
sedar diri lah please
It existed decades ago, now only you know?
see, who to blame? uber or myTeksi FTW
Legalise the uber car solve tbe problem because in this way let thw teksi die
“Gangster” not only in taxi group, even public bus company also got, this type of gangster business are been around many years ago.. everyone know about it, heard about it but nothing will solve this.. hopefully future have more new company to compete them until they gone.. uber is a good example, good luck
Actually, the big problem is SPAD. SPAD is allowing all this protest to go on. Why? Very simple.
SPAD’s chairman Albar’s wife owns many teksi companies. When Uber and Grabcar came into Malaysia, her companies lost a lot of money and is losing a lot of money.
So, SPAD, as any husband who is scared of his wife would do, quickly ban Uber and ban Grabcar.
You see, in Malaysia, there is no such thing as CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SPAD is now closing an eye to all this violence and protest because Albar’s wife is not happy with slow business.
All these violence is approved by SPAD. Infact, it is indirectly sanctioned by SPAD.
Don’t forget, besides Albar’s wife, ALL the licenses for companies running cabs are all owned by UMNO big boys.
Nobody can touch them la
10 years!@#$%^&
Why only complain now? What have u been doing for the past 10 years Mr Chairman?
Collecting part of the RM200. Lol
The Truth of the taxis has been spoken. Seems like SPAD does not do anything.
And also, there are taxi driver which is good actually, just that rarely seen in the city centre due to those are was controlled by those ‘gangster’
10 years!@#$%^
So what have your association been doing for the past 10years? Why complain now?
its part of our culture …u ask every food stall on the roadside , they pay those gangs a sum of money every month to get that place n for ‘protection’…
ofcourse we have all these , when there is lack of police , n corrupted law enforcements…what on earth do u expect???
Oh now you guys acknowledge that there are gangster taxi groups
before this say all taxi drivers are the same
puihh
Actually, the big problem is SPAD. SPAD is allowing all this protest to go on. Why? Very simple.
SPAD’s chairman Albar’s wife owns many teksi companies. When Uber and Grabcar came into Malaysia, her companies lost a lot of money and is losing a lot of money.
So, SPAD, as any husband who is scared of his wife would do, quickly ban Uber and ban Grabcar.
You see, in Malaysia, there is no such thing as CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SPAD is now closing an eye to all this violence and protest because Albar’s wife is not happy with slow business.
All these violence is approved by SPAD. Infact, it is indirectly sanctioned by SPAD.
Don’t forget, besides Albar’s wife, ALL the licenses for companies running cabs are all owned by UMNO big boys.
Nobody can touch them la
Gangster ganster ini semua kaki saya lah. Inilah cara kami buat bisness.
PDRM pun takut sama kami
Don’t need wayang la. One moment Uber is threatening their rice bowl, next gangster is threatening their livelihood. All we see are them threatening the public and Uber drivers.
Btw,
“Additionally, Zailani recommends …. to reduce the number of taxi drivers not using the meter.”
To reduce? These people makan gaji buta ka? To reduce.
Forget about getting help from enforcement ppl. SPAD themselves are legal gangster. The best is quit current job and join uber taxi in disguise. Just make sure don’t keep any relevant tools tie with uber inside car and you are free from local authorities even though get caught.
why not Zailani Isausuludin gather all their members and protest against these gangsters? since all of them love to protest and threaten to block the road.
where are your balls now when face to face with these gangsters?
LOL i’m not surprise at all..in fact, a lot of other businesses also have this gangsterism..even our ministers also act like gangster..hehe
Finally this blog decided to label them as gangster. ..next worst level can label them as TERRORIST
I’ve been ripped off about 50% of the time I’ve taken taxis in Malaysia, both in Penang and KL. one example: KLCC to KL tower by meter price was reasonable. Fro KL tower to KLCC, they wanted fixed price over 5 times what I payed in opposite direction. Some thugs at KLCC were controlling things. Without a taxi, you have along walk. That’s what they told me to do when I protested. As a tourist, it’s sickening to have this sort of thing happen to you.
These gangster taxi drivers are worst than longkang scum. May their children get conned by others….and then they understand how it felt cheating their customers.
Almost every genuine taxi drivers who use meter for survival are struggling at the moment just because of some irresponsible taxi drivers who does not use meter.
The genuine drivers are looking forward to become Uber or GrabCar drivers but they couldn’t cause SPAD says it’s illegal in one end but in another end they say it’s legal!
What should the genuine taxi drivers do?
They are stuck in the middle cause they are very obedient with the rules and regulations of SPAD.
Hope SPAD will regulate Uber and GrabCar so most of us could surrender our taxis and join Uber or GrabCar.
Whenever I’m in Malaysia, Uber is my first choice. I hate haggling over fares, I am willing to pay what is fair. If the meter is too low, then increase the fare. It is quite embarrassing to have to haggle when there is a perfectly fine taxi meter. SPAD it is time to do your job and reduce the public perception of corruption and nepotism.
The worst taxi service on earth. compare to nearest neighbour in Singapore or in Bangkok, they are far better.
Better in the sense of equipped car, and customer “first” attitude service. You complain, not that the authority going to do anything.So what bother the taxi driver? For example in Taiwan, if the consumer complain with the taxi driver attitude or overcharge, they will investigate and if found guilty, their licence will be suspend.
In Malaysia, there is law, no people follow, authority not strict and no enforcement to care about