Although the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) hasn’t submitted its reports on regulating ride-sharing services such as Uber and Grab to the transport ministry, the commission has revealed that the majority of the public prefer to use these services instead of taxis, the New Straits Times reports.
The commission’s chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Albar, said that according to an online survey it carried out last year, 80% of the respondents prefer using Uber and Grab services. He added that accessibility was the main reason why the public would rather utilise these services compared to conventional taxis.
With regards to regulating the ride-sharing services, Syed Hamid said that the commission has looked into the matter and will be submitting its views on how the issue should be tackled to the government.
“I recently met with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman. We discussed all these issues and the various ways on how we can regulate it, because mobile applications fall under the MCMC,” he added.
“We have to make sure that the country’s taxi industry will be able to coexist and not be pushed out from the public transport system,” he said, but stressed that there were current issues in the taxi industry that needed to be addressed.
He said taxi services in the country have to upgrade its standards, so they can offer better services and ensure that passengers are happy with the level of service. “Currently, we see the situation as not good. It needs a change or reorientation. We have completed our lab on the taxi industry where we engaged with all stakeholders, and the report has already been completed,” he said.
The road to legalising ride-sharing services like Uber and Grab in Malaysia has now reached a stage where the transport ministry has declared that its drivers will be required to obtain a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence. Commercial insurance is also being mooted as a must. Across the Causeway, Singapore is set to introduce a new set of regulations for Uber and Grab by early next year.
Many taxi groups have expressed their displeasure with the authorities, including SPAD, for failing to take action against ride-sharing services in the country. Most insist that they are operating illegally (without valid licences), and have even taken extreme measures to voice their concerns, including street blockades.
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HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA NOW WHAT TAXI DRIVERS?
the remaining 20% were interviews with taxi drivers/their relatives…
Bunch of lazy fools. This what happens when you charge RM300 to a white man for a teksi ride from KL Sentral to KLCC at 10 am in the morning. This is what you call karma.
Malaysian teksi drivers have lots of dosa ie sin. For years, most of them (not all) but 90% of them were cheating Mat Sallehs with exorbitant pricing. Every Mat Salleh who has ever sat foot in Malaysia has got cheated from these idiots.
Besides that they all cheat Malaysians. Most of them modify their meters. It runs faster. Most Malaysians kena double charge all the time. Then, you have the clowns who don’t use meter and just drive away.
I have seen a pregnant mother carrying another baby in her hand asking the teksi driver for a ride. the guy said “Tak pergi sana, banyak jam” and drove off before the lady closed even closed the door. She nearly fell down!
Now it is karma. A bigger karma is the fact that 90% of teksi drivers are promoting KL as the sex city of Asia. They all receive commissions from pimps and brothel owners when they bring clients to them. Every single male passenger has been asked “Mahu perempuan?”
Now, pay for your sins.
Mampus taxi……Hidup UBER……Holigans and Robbers. Bad model of Malaysian citizen.
Take Taxi = Support Cronyism
Do you know why? Because Uber monitors every single driver & has a rating system. If you’re not satisfied with your ride you can just write a comment / compliant and it will definitely be read by the people at Uber & appropriate action will be taken. Unlike regular taxis, if you submit a complaint to SPAD there’s very little chance they’re gonna read it let alone take action.
SPAD worker browse facebook while eating kuih. Who cares about letter of complains.
I do not agree your statement. I had ever made complain to SPAD for 2 incidents due to bus and truck reckless driving. SPAD will send an email to me about the status and also the action they taken such as warning or reminder given to the reckless driver or company.
Fyi, my brother was bus driver before. When SPAD receive complain from public SPAD will call up my brother for interview and my bro has to answer their question. Fail to attend the interview may result in bus permit withdrawn. They are strict on this issue.
It is matter of how many people do make complain to SPAD about the taxi problem. Many people complain here and complain there but they do not go proper channel to voice out. I respect SPAD because they do attend my inquiry and reply me accordingly (I still keeping the email), thing is how many people like me do make complain to SPAD.
HAHAHA.
I made complaints to SPAD on lorries on the highway and speeding buses on Karak. Every time I call, I ask for status of previous complaint.
“Bang, x jumpa bang. Bila u complen?”
Bang ang.
Bang them!!
To all taxi drivers,
I often take taxis whenever I am outstation in KL or other states (nothing less than 10 times a week) and frankly the attitude of the taxi drivers are not really up to standard.
Despite 30-40% of the taxi drivers shown their good behaviour and character, majority of the taxi drivers often shown scolding onto other vehicles for improper driving or where they were driving slow, or the taxi drivers driven fast and almost collided into other vehicle, never give exact change, always insisted me to go to airport (which is my next destination) instead of driving to nearest LRT station when I have insistently requested so due to heavy traffic, etc. I recalled one taxi driver scolded “anak anjing” onto other drivers because they were driving slow.
You want us to take taxis instead of grabcar or uber, then please change your attitude.
To those nice taxi drivers, don’t give up.
In Japan, the taxi drivers are very professional and behaved and has the GPS thingy in their cars. Likewise in Taiwan. Not sure about other part of the world.
Think about this, if there is no demand of uber or grabcar, you think they can survive? Learn as why people rather take uber or grabcar than blaming the government not banning them.
If you got competition, you learn to improve, right?
I am not a fan of taking uber or grabcar but soon I might if majority of the taxi drivers still behave the same.
Question is, who are the remaining 20%??
taxi drivers and their friends and family.
I prefer uber as well. Nice car.good drive manner!!
SPAD should be exist in the first place, they are not legal and constitute to put any legal action against anyone..
they are not MPs but bunch of cronies inside.
JPJ officers? Policese? Minister of Transport MPs?
why not taxi driver apply for UBER and GRAB. used the apps for search and find customer. better income and perhaps could pay taxi monthly installment. i think they should work with both UBER and GRAB company.
UBER or drive myself…
Uber and grab car anytime for me
i use UBER everyday in IPOH… really happy with the service. i hope it picks up. taxi drivers here dont even have meters in the taxis. by using UBER i save half or even more of my fare….
UBER … thank you
Many of these taxi drivers are not qualified to be taxi driver. Why I said so? Many of us know the taxi companies was ran by cronies and the method of they control the taxi is “sewa beli”. Drivers no need to buy taxi instead they paying daily rental to taxi company. Which mean those people who not afford to buy a car to be taxi can use this method to become taxi driver, which mean these drivers accept the cronies to suck their money voluntarily. Because they no need to pay any downpayment to buy the car to run the business instead they giving instalment to crony in daily basis.
What is the average nett income of taxi driver, 2k or 3k maybe? The truth is many of these taxi drivers nett earning can goes up to 5k. It is very hard to achieve this figure via proper method, so many of them cheat mat salleh, choose customer and destination, non-meter charge etc.
So when Uber and Grab car enter into Malaysia, end user has additional channel to commute and it is safer, cheaper and more comfortable ride in most time. If taxi driver complain, why don’t they buy a better car to become full time Uber or Grabcar which may earn up to 5-6k (trip fare + incentive). Taxi driver should upgrade their service, vehicle and attitude to compete, not solely asking protection from government.
Yesterday, when I smoke front of the KL Shopping mall, I saw 2 taxi driver bargain to tourist. From KL to Cheras need rm25.00 per trip. Waoooo…. taxi not charger by Meter ????? or special for tourist.. Hahaha…
The public will take taxis only if the govt replace all current taxi drivers with UBER or Grab drivers….