The increase of ride-hailing drivers from services like Uber and GrabCar in Melaka have drawn the ire of taxi drivers there, who complained that said drivers – said to include many college students and factory workers in the mix – are robbing them of their business.
The Star quotes Melaka Taxi and Tourist Drivers Association chairman Zulkiflie Baharom, who said that private cars were “brazenly” picking up passengers from Melaka Sentral, the city’s main transportation hub. He added that cab drivers have confronted these “e-hailing” drivers at Bandar Hilir and Dataran Palawan.
“The college students told us they were making supplementary income for their education while factory workers – some still in their uniforms – gave the excuse that they needed the extra cash for their families,” he said, adding that the association has made known that it opposes the rise of these services.
Zulkiflie also claimed that these drivers were looking to make a quick buck without proper consideration of passenger safety. “Most of the passengers are at risk without proper insurance coverage in the event of an untoward incident.
“Many of our members have lodged police reports to pressure the authorities to stop these services in the state,” he said, urging the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to take action against the drivers.
The Melaka Transportation and Project Rehabilitation Committee will bring the issue up with these authorities, said its chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong. “We take this seriously and we hope taxi drivers will provide us with information, so that we can act against these drivers,” he said.
Last month, the cabinet approved the Land Public Transport Commission’s (SPAD) Taxi Industry Transformation Programme (TITP), which will legalise and regulate the “e-hailing” industry. Drivers are now required to obtain a driver’s card from SPAD and are subjected to mandatory roadworthiness inspections.
Regulations will also be imposed on e-hailing companies and drivers to ensure that legitimate policy objectives like compulsory insurance coverage and safety requirements are met.
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Malaysia taxi is rated world no.1 bad service in the world.
Government did not much thing to rectify this and let Malaysia taxi service to be no.1 in the world for continue many years.
Private service come in and help to rectify such issue and force Malaysia taxi to give good service and fair price to continue survive in this field. Do hope our Malaysia can clear its name from world no.1 bad taxi service.
Taxi driver curi customer dari Beca driver.
aunty manyak xsuka malacca taxi, always selecting passengers, jalan dekat tak mau ambil… kalau masuk selupa mcm masuk court.. manyak tak friendly…
oppose here oppose there!
I also want to object to my competitor who launched his online store to sell clothing. Most of the buyers from the website are at risk if the clothing don’t fit them upon delivery as they couldn’t try before they buy.
I strongly urge authority to regulate them since they are threatening my livelihood with their online store open 24×7 and accessible by the whole nation. It won’t be fair for those like me who invested in a (proper) store and pay all the local council for all the permits.
Melaka banyak ang mor tourists, taxi drivers scared they lose their chances to cheat them of their money? Always turn off meter and charge themselves then make tourists wonder why malaysia taxi lousy car but premium price.
Boo Hoo for the poor robber taxi drivers of Melaka.
Can’t wait for e-hailing to take off in Langkawi. Those drivers give Malaysia a bad name to foreign tourists. Penang drivers are shockers too but not sure if e-hailing is there yet.
Put the Taxi Mafia out of business.
taxi drivers association have the right to oppose but you don’t have the right to stop uber or grab.
if u don’t like, than quit and be a lorry driver.
Padan Muka! Last month try to take taxi from Melaka Sentral to Kota Laksamana which about 3km want charge me Rm30. Besarnye mulut korang.
Hello, I was a student in Melaka last time during my Uni studies. This Melaka Taxi driver all are leeches and useless. All do not want to use meter. Short distance from Melaka central to Ayer keroh uni need RM15 per trip. Now already RM20. So you all justice this Melaka Taxi. All are leeches and irresponsible
Just treat it as donation. don’t feel bad
Kent you are MMU student?
RM15 from Melaka Sentral to the campus is cheap dy when I ever took a taxi ride that costs me RM12 and guess what? It’s just from Aeon Ayer Keroh to the campus! (Ixora apartment)
If I am still MMU student now, I will be a Uber driver, anytime.
Why make police report? Under what ground?
Idiots….
Want 1st world, support taximen. Be like France!
To be fair, not all taxi drivers are dishonest drivers. Sad to say, most are. The perception are not encouraging given the many complaints not only in Melaka, but also in Selangor/KL/JB.
Who’s fault is it that the taxi drivers are in this situation. If only JPJ do their job by going to the grounds to check, this unscrupulous conduct will be lessen & not so brazenly displayed.
I have been conned by a taxi driver recently. Only a short distance from KTM UKM Bangi to Seksyen 5 Bangi..He charged me RM 15 in the taxi got 3 more passengers..so totalis RM 60..all are going to the same destination…go to hell la taxi driver..i hope taxi business will die someday
Strongly agree with you..Benci Teksi..
Grab car or Uber is convenient and cheaper. However, there must be legalized and full insurance coverage for passengers. My daughter was knocked down by a Grabcar driver when he reversed his car. The driver came out of the car and checked his car instead of sending my daughter to the hospital. Police report lodged and Grabcar company was informed. Grabcar seems NOT bothered after checking with the driver. Luckily, the accident was captured by CCTV at my Condo. Government MUST take action to regulate Grabcar and Uber. Consumers MUST be protected.
Until today I have not seen any single soul who have complimented our taxi services. In my whole life I have never heard of people saying our taxi services are good, NEVER. But I do hear a lot of complains. Never ending complains regarding the same old problems, mainly scamming people’s money and bad attitude drivers.
Well, to all gangster taxi drivers out there, you all are opposing the wrong thing. You all should oppose your bad attitude and greed instead of bullying those e-hailing drivers.
Throwing eggs on their windscreen is not cool man, it clearly shows how barbaric you all are and the weirdest thing of all is to actually EXPECT customers to use your service instead after all these incidents? TAKDE LOGIC LANGSUNG.
You all ownself cari pasal first. The public have tried to use your services before but you gangsters are the one who gave them a bad experience. Serve you gangster taxi drivers right! Now everybody is complaining and no one is bothering.
Now the public is opposing all of you gangster instead. I think the gomen also don’t know how to help you all.
Hoi taxi bodoh, pergi belajar dulu, samseng jalanan, i hope government should study e- hailing before take action, people like grab or uber because it cheaper n faster.
You know what should be controlled by the government instead? Prices of houses and who buys them and for what. It is so sad to see nature ravaged by greedy developers whose developments are gobbled up by real-estate investors both individuals and companies. The result? So much of forested and farm areas areas are destroyed and still there are people in need of affordable housing left out in the open. Think this will happen? Only maybe if all of Earth have been denuded and most humans wiped out by resulting catastrophe.
next time blajar rajin2..then no need drive taxi..can become lawyer, dr, teacher etc..dulu org blajar ko ponteng class..now lazy ass effers become taxi drivers want to complain je..