The taxi vs ride-sharing war continues, and now the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has been drawn directly into the melee. The Star reports that the commission is being sued by 102 taxi drivers for alleged negligence in taking action to ban Uber, Grabcar and Blacklane.
The drivers, who claim the three transportation network companies are affecting their livelihoods, have formed an ad hoc action committee from 29 taxi associations and are applying for a permanent injunction to compel SPAD not to legalise the activities and operations of the three operators, claiming that the companies have not received approval from the authorities to ferry passengers.
In the statement of claim, taxi driver Abdul Aziz Lebai Milin and 101 other taxi drivers named SPAD as the sole defendant. The drivers are looking to obtain a declaration from the High Court for SPAD to ban these three operators within seven days of a court order. They are also seeking general damages, interest, costs and relief deemed fit by the court.
The group filed the lawsuit at the High Court civil registry through lawyer R. Kengadharan, who said his clients filed the suit to ensure “fair play” and healthy competition to improve the transport industry. He said that his clients’ incomes had been affected by the three operators, who used personal vehicles for commercial purposes.
Committee chairman Zailani Isa Usuludin said the taxi drivers were defending their rights, as their source of income had been seriously affected, and they had lost almost 60% of their daily take to ride-sharing services.
“We have to support our families. We work for 16 hours but only get between RM150 and RM160. We have to pay for costs for car rental, petrol and maintenance, and to the respective companies. How to survive with the balance of RM30 after all those deductions?” said Zailani.
Earlier in the week, SPAD had said it was being made the scapegoat over issues relating to ride-sharing services. Commission chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said that certain quarters, including government agencies, had been dodging responsibility in solving the “illegal taxi” services offered via smartphone apps, and the commission was being faulted.
“Many people are just happy to point fingers at SPAD, even though that’s not our area of responsibility. In the end, we have been blamed for many things, we are like a punching bag, while the media are happy to provide space to hit out at SPAD,” he said.
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Party Hard politikus now have dilemma. Shud they suppork SPAD ie Gov, or shud they suppork taximen that majority cheats customers?
Nelson
I have been on the side lines with this issue. If you cannot make enough money to take home you either change an employer or change a job.
This is a free market. If customers are leaving you, then something must be wrong with your charges or rates. If your competitor can survive, then so can you. Taxi companies have to review their charges and the condition of their taxis and work with their own drivers to get through this.
I cannot sue my competition because of my own mismanagement or exorbitant prices. This is not right. Taxi business is not a monopoly and should not be operated like one. This is for the public and I say the public has a right to choose.
That’s what we all think.
But the case isn’t so up there in the corridors of power where all they that think about special rights and how to maintain the gravy train.
You get rid of SPAD (after all you have MoT) and get rid of giving taxi permits to “companies” and the problem solves itself.
Let taxi drivers be independent. If Grabcar and Uber drivers can make money, why can’t normal taxi drivers?
I take exclusively UBER Black when available, and these are mostly fleet services and legal. So if they can survive, why can’t your taxis survive?
My guess is that thier “16 hour work day” (real #2kerja) is spent mostly sitting by the curb ogling passing women and smoking. If they had spent that 16 hours actually ferrying passengers around, they would have made some real money.
This is like having your own nasi campur stall, and go suing nearby mamak and fast food stall for conducting their business causing you to lose customer. Only that nasi campur stall owner doesn’t do that. Malaysia is following USA style. Sue others, even though it doesn’t make any sense. Like one guy is suing redbull for not giving him wing after drinking it, and win a million dollar. Elsewhere, he will be locked up in mental hospital.
what do u know abt taxi biz?? Only know to complain & make rhetorical opinion, no constructive offerings at all.
Typical Malaysia opposition mindset.
‘taxi business’in malaysia..lol..that ‘business’is killing the drivers; fact
Rent-seekers will always be rent-seekers. You just cannot reason with them.
OMG…they can survive, they are greedy, they pretend problem and ask for help from gomen…
Instead of wasting precious time clowning around like they (taxi drivers) always do, how about going all out to ferry passengers especially on NY’s Eve and Day where the demand is extremely high everywhere. 102 clowns can continue to protest while Uber and Grab gets more share of the cake today :)
This Zailani is also spewing nonsense as everybody is out there working hard to support their families and assets. Everybody’s bottom line is affected because of mismanagement by our not so smart government. Sue the government too? I think not. After the interview, he’s just gonna call for a Uber/Grab ride to his New Year’s countdown party because he knows it is safer, better and cheaper.
To those taxi driver who never used a meter and using a dirty smelly car, take on 2 or 3 jobs like your minister does if your income is affected. Just roll over and die. Taxi vs ride-sharing is like Fax machine vs Email or Feature phone vs smartphone or dial-up internet vs broadband. You just can’t win. But in Malaysia, anything ugly is possible.
Those dirty smelly taxis are rented from taxi cronies
What to do, looks like the rakyat wanted dirty smelly taxi by voting them into power. Sometimes I think that rakyat wanted Bauxite, Lynas, de-valuated Ringgit, Rising cost of living, Dropping share value of FGV, bad infrastructure and widespread corruption and cronyism.
if chairman Zailani Isa Usuludin are so free why before uber come in you dont control well the quality of taxi driver? uber can control their driver well thats why many customer and now you cry like a baby for what ? taxi driver will reject to pick up even pregnant women if they dont happy with the destination or not using the meter, but uber wont
Aiyaa… why these taxi groups no telur one?
Why don’t they sue Uber and Grabcar themselves? SPAD already said they cannot take action against Uber and Grabcar, so why not sue those companies?
And why not do demonstration at Uber HQ or Grabcar office? Taxi groups know their service really sucks so they go bully SPAD instead of doing the right thing.
Kawan lama gua, bekas tentera skrg bawak taxi krn pencen X cukup, kos hidup tenat, anak kecik ada 4..
Myteksi Uber mmg patut kiter haramkan!!
Ask your kawan lama to join Uber or Grabcar. He can make more money.
Uber milik org Yahudi. rakyat Malaysia X bole kawan dgn Yahudi/Israel
“Captain, the sarcasm detector has been tested and is working perfectly.”
Kalau macam itu, bekas tentera bukan bermakna dia korang ade hak utk tipu kita korang punya duit! Macam perompak! Anak dia korang pun tak sedap hati nampak bape mereka kerja macam gangster!
Dia korang dan kita korang tu apa maksudnya?
Ini Gangster Taxi 1 Malaysia wayang kuat la…. Masih tak mau ubah… Masih mau overcharge customer la… Jika tak boleh survive kat teksi, join uber n grabcar la… Bodoh! Ni mesti hari2 biasa makan nasi lemak dan tido …. 1 kali bawak taxi dan dapat duet banyak punye pattern nie
Aiyaaaaaa
Good move, I crap hand for this, sue SPAD chairman too.
And here we have news that UBER has made its Billionth customer on Christmas Eve. In 5 years. The next Billion would come much quicker.
Like it or not. UBER is here to stay.
i doubt that if uber and grabcar earn money why taxi driver cant. Taxi service is sxxk and over charge to customer. what you all thinks
UBER and MyTeksi good than another Taxi
Why don’t all d taxi drivers who complaining so much switch themselves to uber?
Barbarians roars. Now they aiming the SPAD which backed by govt. Lol. let’s see what will happen to them and their so called “territory fight”! Those cornies taxi companies are losing lots of their money and start to panic now. Time to abolish those taxi companies’s license and bring peace to KL transportation industry.
This issue is getting more and more annoying by the day
All tat taxi driver which sue SPAD are just “macai” for the Dato’s Permit Holder company which is losing income due to many taxi give back their taxi and now driving for Grabcar and Uber. The main issue for taxi driver is the permit monopoky by all the politician and Dato’s. They are the one they suppose to sue!!!
our menteri say….
tak suka politik malaysia, boleh keluar malaysia,
tak suka uber, tak payah bawak teksi…
mai, pergi bawak keretapi or kapal terbang.
Those real taxi driver who is working 16 hours a day, been driving more than 5 years but still not getting their own taxi permit has moved to Uber/ Grabcar, celebrating and feeling thankful to car share app. They are now bring back average 5K a month.
As for those how react like Barbarians, burning Uber car, protest, wanted to sue SPAD….is only a group of daily paid temporary actor employed by BN crony who hold thousand of taxi permit.
Obviously that those Crony is Tun Dr M friend and not PM Najib friend.
In this case, I have to say… SPAD done a wide decision.
If they are truly working 16 hours a day without sleeping in their taxi and tea time every now and then, it is impossible for them not earning enough. Even if you drive customers going through traffic jam, the meter is still running ( if they use it). Besides all taxi drivers love to cut queue and flaunt the law.
Actually Puspakom also is another root cause. In Klang Valley , there are so many taxi spewing black smoke . The engine is due for overhaul and should not be allowed on the road. Yet they still can pass Puspakom inspection which is carried out like half a year once . Shitty condition taxi is still allowed on the road all because of Puspakom is corrupted.
Hopeless taxi drivers, hopeless SPAD….
Another super achievement of Malaysia.
There are reasons why some people don’t take taxi. Based on my experiences these taxi drivers are not being honest in their job, they like to cheat their meters, they even cover their meters with cloth and sometimes click on some buttons for extra charge. I also had experience taking unmetered taxi once with my friend, it was accidental, the driver rushed us to go into his taxi and the taxi has no meter at all!! He charged a ridiculous high price, my friend debated and he threatened for a fight in the street. Unfortunately there are no police around so we couldn’t report on the scene. Moreover, most taxis are not well maintained.
Look at how the Taxi business doing in other country where Uber also exists. Business is still good and we’ll accepted by public. It’s all down to the quality of the services provided.
16 hour working, or 16 hour sitting at the road side waiting durian jatuh, while blocking all the traffics and causing difficulties to all other road users.
Their attitute is the one to be blamed.
If not enough money they can just eat plain rice with kicap! Lousy service and scammer trying to cheat money for a living. Yet still dare to point finger at other for stealing.
If the cabbies are smart they should quit their blood-sucking taxi companies and leave those permit holders high and dry, and switch over as Uber drivers.
But they’re too dumb to do that, which is why they’re still stuck as parasitic criminally-inclined cabbies till today.