Earlier this week, it was reported that taxi companies were looking to work with ride-sharing app Uber in an effort to save the taxi industry, and were set to sign a memorandum of understanding with Uber Malaysia sometime this week.
It seems that the potential move hasn’t gone down well with some taxi drivers. Yesterday, around 100 cabbies staged a protest against the proposed collaboration between Gabungan Persatuan dan Syarikat-Syarikat Teksi Semenanjung Malaysia (GPST) and Uber Malaysia for GPST taxis to adopt the use of the Uber app.
The protest was held in front of Sunway Lagoon club where the MoU between the two parties was supposed to be held, Bernama reports. The signing ceremony was called off and postponed to an unknown date.
The cabbies were sore that no discussions were held with them before GPST announced the collaboration. “This collaboration involves our work and livelihood, why not ask us and explain it to us first before making the decision,” Klang Valley taxi drivers action committee chairman Zailani Isausuludin told reporters.
He said the committee had submitted a memorandum to the GPST urging the association to stop the collaboration, and had demanded a session to discuss the matter with representatives of taxi associations.
Federal Territory and Selangor Indian taxi owners and drivers association secretary S. Balakrishnan added that a clear explanation had to be given to taxi drivers regarding the implementation.
“Explain to us in detail about the commissions, discounts and the procedures involved because we are the ones who drive the taxi. Don’t make decisions in total disregard of taxi drivers,” he explained.
Meanwhile, GPST president Datuk S. M. Salahuddin Ayubi Kamal Aazad made the decision to postpone the signing ceremony at the eleventh hour after learning that the cabbies were planning to assemble at the event location, The Sun reports.
“To avoid unnecessary confrontation with the taxi drivers, we have cancelled the EGM and MOU signing today,” a GPST spokesperson told the publication. He said that the association may call for a meeting soon with key taxi industry players to finalise the proposed move to collaborate with Uber, adding that it wanted to give taxi drivers an option to utilise Uber and prosper.
Taxi drivers and companies have been outspoken regarding the rise of ride-sharing services like Uber and Grab since 2015, having organised multiple protests – including one which blocked Jalan Bukit Bintang. There have also been reports of drivers suing the app makers, as well as harassing their drivers.
The taxi industry has been left reeling in the wake of competition from Uber and GrabCar. It was reported that many taxi companies may not survive beyond 2018, and faced with this prospect, some taxi associations are looking to work with ride-hailing services instead of continuing to engage in war against them.
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Did petronas or MAS discuss with their staff before retrenchment / paycuts? Lazy buggers welcome to life, please wake up to the world situation. Evolve or go bankrupt…
Kerajaan patut mengutamakan pemberian permit teksi individu bagi mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan kepada golongan belia menganggur, pesara tentera serta polis.
Persaingan sihat bersama Uber/Grabcar akan lagi dapat melestarikan kualiti pengangkutan awam.
Kerajaan patut memperbanyakkan Teksi 1Malaysia (TEKS1M) berasaskan model Proton untuk menggantikan teksi bersaiz kecil sekarang.
Ini dapat mempastikan perkhidmatan yang lebih baik dan setaraf dengan perkhidmatan teksi di negara maju.
Last time got suck by crony, this time even worse, gets suck by crony and mat salleh that only has to provide a computer apps….!!!
If Uber continues to court these taxi mafia…let us only use GRABCAR.
The red cabbies r the product of a concept called EVERLASTING PERLINDUNGAN.
Now,the red cabbies r still living in a world where they use a manual typewriter,while even a 5 year old kindy kid knows how to use a laptop.
These bunch of ungrateful bodokangs deserve the bank tarik their vehicles one day when they could no longer get enough passengers.
REMEMBER,AS ANY GOMEN WOULD NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS,uber and Grab…should never negotiate with gangsters.
Protection is good. Just look at Proton, can get free money who don’t want?
Grab also have taxi collaboration, its in their app..
It took that long for that gabungan persatuan to realise that they cannot win the fight against Uber. Now it will take even longer for the uncivilised cabbies on the road to realise that..
I think they do realize that. Maybe the big question should be could they still do hailing after they collaborate with Uber?
Always trying to protest because they have no sense of competitiveness within them.
Let them protest all they want while UBER GRAB busy making money.
Good. Please do not use Uber. We do not want you taxi drivers.
There must be a level and fair playing field for both types of services, and market forces, not by government intervention, must determine the sustainability of the industry.
In short, the commitment to improved service quality is key. Syabas SPAD!
luckily they are not pleased, otherwise we going to have gangsters driving Uber.
Gangsterism is in their gene….
Federal Territory and Selangor Indian taxi owners and drivers association….I am sorry to say, I have very very very bad experience with Indian taxi drivers in KL Sentral and Mid Valley. They behave as if they are the gangster of Bangsar. I have no compassion for them if their livelihood is taken away by Uber. So far, I have never come across an Indian taxi driver that does not cheat or intimidate us passengers. But I have sat in many Uber with Indian drivers who are courteous and professional. It is not something to do with race, but somehow Indian taxi drivers are a different breed of Indians in Malaysia.
Why dont you cabbies all say something on the long queue at the NGV stations
take LRT la…. solve everything
Under the collaboration, option is given for taxi drivers to use metered rates OR they can go thru Uber app to get riders -in which case Uber rates apply. What is there for taxi drivers to protest? Taxi drivers has an option. If they dont want, dont go under Uber lah, its a simple as that. These taxi drivers are against Uber app because they cant charge under their whims and fancy.
That shows most Taxi drivers did not know what is going on, but still sibuk want to take part on the matters.
Don’t let them collaborate with Uber. They will destroy Uber. Let them make their own apps and everything. Let them set the price in their apps and we will see who will go bankrupt
Gangster attitude, why must consumer please you ? For goodness sake, please grow up, don’t cry like a baby when facing competition.
MAS paid their staff salary …where their pilot did not pay for their flight . Taxi otherwise , drivers must pay for their taxi…
maruah tercabar lettew
the cabbies dont see it both ways..if they do not want to lose their jobs then join ride hailing apps…but still i dont want to get a rude and gangster teksi driver…getting a friendly and professional cab driver is a rare occurence here in Malaysia..but thankfully that happened last time i went to KL…if cab drivers are friendly and professional and dont rip us off…then i would be more than happy to take a teksi
recently met a problem, Taxi want to charge more for their return journey expenses. So RM10 more. Worst is Penang where this taxi said RM25 to airport. Ask for discount they don’t want. Ask for meter, they unhappy. Paid RM25 but they on meter just in case SPAD catch. Arrived airport just RM12 on meter.
With Uber and Grab system, Taxi driver no longer can cheat! Of coz the the driver not pleased la. Serve them well, Karma is striking back.
These rotton eggs r not happy bez have to b humble,polite and show curtosy to passengers,
If ubber they have to show first world mentality which is impossible for them to b.
UBER please do not collaborate with taxi drivers.
Cheap toll for taxi, cheap gas for taxi… BUT, expensive to ride…. permit? how much? RM150 for 7 years? dang!!! need to pay for you car? then Uber driver got free car ehhh???
Uber will lose a lot of customers if they collaborate with these gangsters.
Grab car must be laughing away.
Uber, please postpone indefinitely. Do not work with these taxi hooligans. They will undermine & sabotage your company from within. They are beyond redemption, unable to adapt and change with the times. Entitlement thinking, everybody owes them because they’re special. Dinosaur will not evolve & theory of evolution will put them in the history books. BTW, Uber will lose many customers if these taxi drivers become Uber. Count me as one should your agreement goes ahead.
For those condemning Uber because they want to collaborate, did u know grab already have this collaboration long time ago.. in fact they started of as MyTeksi where u can book a cab using app and u still have this option if u open grabcar app. And to the teksi drivers.. wake up, grow up and move with time laa… dont be stuck in your own world and time where u think nothing should change except if u want it…
Anything to do with the transport ministry, you expect it to flipflop a few more time…
They just have no firm direction of implementing any policies
” Last week I said passed ! , sorry ya..hari ini cancelled !