free taxi maternity bernama

With the cost of many items and services rising, here’s some good news for low-income pregnant women in Selangor and KL, who can now enjoy free 24-hour taxi service. The gesture is by the Makkal Communications Taxi Drivers Association (MCTDA), with some 50 drivers pledging to ferry expectant mothers to government hospitals for observation and medical attention, The Star reports.

City Hall excise licensing board chairman Datuk P. Gunaseelan said the free service was dedicated to the lower income group, especially those staying in government PPR flats, long houses or rural areas. “But in emergency situations, we will not differentiate those from high- and low-income groups. And we request the cooperation of the citizens – only those who are truly poor should call in for this service,” he said.

He added that the initiative is a corporate social responsibility project by the cab drivers, but to help bear the long-term financial cost, he hopes to find support from the government and private sector. In December, when the free cab service was first reported, Gunaseelan said that each cabbie will allocate a minimum cost of at least RM70 per patient for one trip to a public hospital.

“The service is for all, irrespective of race and religion. This is also part of the cabbies effort to weed out bad perception from the public that taxi drivers in the city are bad people. There are many kind-hearted cabbies in Kuala Lumpur as you can see for yourself,” he said at the launch of the pilot project.

Yesterday, Shiek Daood and his pregnant wife Zulmizah Yahaya were the first users of the free service when they were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital from their home in Jinjang.

For more info, one can contact MCTDA chairman K. Muthu (012-6957864) or K. Suriyamurthy (016-3029297). Gunaseelan said banners with the telephone number of taxi drivers involved in the effort would be placed at PPR flats.

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