It appears that even with stiff competition from ride-hailing services like Uber and Grab, some taxi drivers are still engaging in the time-honoured tradition of overcharging tourists – the Malay Mail reported that two French tourists were charged RM800 for a trip to Putrajaya and back, when they really only wanted to go from Suria KLCC to Masjid Negara.
One of the victims, Sarah, said that they hailed the taxi at the shopping mall and asked the driver to take them to the mosque, but the latter refused to switch on his fare meter and proceeded to go on the detour. The incident, which occurred around 6 pm on Saturday, prompted the tourists to lodge a report with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), providing the registration number of the taxi and a photo of the driver.
“The victim claimed the taxi driver involved instead took them to Putrajaya first before going to the National Mosque,” an SPAD spokesman told Harian Metro. “Upon arriving at Masjid Negara, the taxi driver forced the victims to pay RM800.”
The spokesman said that according to the information received, the driver took advantage of them by using a further route when the distance between KLCC and the national mosque was just six kilometres, adding that the tourists paid the sum out of fear. “SPAD is now tracking down the taxi driver involved for further action. Such actions affects the country’s image in the eyes of foreign tourists,” he said.
The Harian Metro report did not specify the type of taxi used; however, a budget taxi has a RM3 flag fall inclusive of the first kilometre and a 25 sen rate for each subsequent 200 metres, putting the theoretical cost of a six-kilometre journey at RM9.25.
Meanwhile, a trip with a Teksi1Malaysia (TEKS1M) with a RM4 flag fall and a 30 sen charge every 200 m would cost RM11.50, while an executive taxi with an RM6 flag fall and a rate of 20 sen for every 100 m would have cost the tourists RM16.
Even accounting for the alleged detour to Putrajaya, the trip – which would have taken between 69 km to 78 km to get to Masjid Negara – would have cost anywhere from RM88 to RM99.25 in an budget taxi, RM106 to RM119.50 in a TEKS1M and RM142 to 160 in an executive taxi.
This comes as Uber moved to show the calculated fare for all trips upfront this year, joining Grab. Would such an incident encourage you to switch from using taxis to ride-hailing services? Sound off in the comments section after the jump.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments highlight ongoing issues with taxi overcharging, especially for tourists, exemplified by the RM800 fare from KLCC to Masjid Negara. Many blame dishonest taxi drivers and criticize authorities for not taking strict enough action, such as fines or jail, to curb such practices. There's concern that overcharging damages Malaysia's reputation and drives passengers toward Uber and Grab. Several comments suggest that regulations and enforcement are insufficient, with calls for accountability and stronger measures, including public shaming or legal action. Some sympathy is expressed for honest taxi drivers, and there are warnings that these incidents could become recurring unless immediate and strict intervention is implemented. Overall, the sentiment is one of frustration with the taxi industry's dishonesty and lack of regulation enforcement.