Taxi classes streamlined to 3 – taxis, hired cars, limos

Taxi classes streamlined to 3 – taxis, hired cars, limos

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is streamlining taxi classes into three, from today’s five. According to The Star, the reclassification of taxi licences will set the groundwork towards fare rationalisation and an eventual level-playing field with ride-sharing services.

“We are trying to migrate all related classes to just taxis, hired cars and limousines once the 10-year age limit is up. They can choose to be metered taxis, a hired car, or if their car is a premier or executive taxis, then it becomes a limousine,” a SPAD spokesman told the daily. Currently, the licence classes are airport taxi, budget taxi, executive taxi, premier taxi and 1Malaysia taxi.

According to a SPAD circular, taxi licence holders who have reached the maximum age limit will be given a six-month grace period to transfer to the three new classes, adding that there are currently too many categories, which causes confusion.

“Every car older than 10 years will have to be changed. We want the change to be clean,” the SPAD source said, adding however that if the taxis were only three years old, they can be maintained under the current classes. “We won’t interfere. We know it costs a lot to repaint the car, so they are allowed to continue under the old scheme,” the spokesman said.

Taxi classes streamlined to 3 – taxis, hired cars, limos

This exercise is part of SPAD’s Taxi Industry Transforma­tion Programme (TITP) that was announced last Au­­gust to resolve long-standing structural issues be­­setting the taxi industry. TITP’s goal is to create a fair playing field that benefits drivers, operators and passengers. It’s said to be a clear way forward for the industry to “evolve towards a more sustainable future by being responsive to market forces.”

Last month, transport minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong wrote that the programme was designed to help taxi drivers become independent by offering financial support to liberate them from the pajak (rent-purchase agreement) fee, which a huge chunk of cabbies’ monthly revenue goes to. It also serves to encourage e-hailing adoption by taxi drivers, giving them a safe, secure working environment as well as better service to customers.

Not an easy industry to reform, this one, and if it was not for the arrival and fast growth of ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Grab, nothing would have changed. Will the government’s efforts succeed? Read more about the TITP here.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Not Toyota Fan on Apr 11, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    Not addressing the main problem, gangsters taxi drivers; who cheat, intimidate, and even assault others. No wonder the rakyat prefer Uber / Grabcar.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 2
  • Kelab Kebenaran Kunta on Apr 11, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    All these hoo haa about streamlining and all that but enter our local teksi, the dude say “Tak mau pakai meter”.

    Basic also SPAD cannot enforce, they want to streamline etc.

    Tak payah lah SPAD

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 2
  • Whatever la SPAD..haih..UBER terbaik!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Bernard on Apr 11, 2017 at 4:41 pm

    No confusion if only UBER and Grab allowed to operate.Also to maintain standards, the taxi drivers must not be allowed to become UBER/Grab drivers. The taxi drivers can take the place of foreign workers who rightfully should be sent back to their countries.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 4
    • Liberalisation means removing restrictions, not place new ones.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 6
    • kzm (Member) on Apr 11, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      How uber know who drive taxi before? If uber do that they just promoting discrimination. U know that some uber driver is taxi driver..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5
  • Ex-VGM staff on Apr 11, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    Already Uber is doing that including uberX and uber black classes.

    IMHO the most important thing is removing permit holders from the scene. They are the main cause why taxi drivers are charging unnecessarily high.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
    • Deswai this streamlining is to facilitate taxi migration to personal ownership.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • RavenAii (Member) on Apr 11, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    “metered taxis, a hired car, or if their car is a premier or executive taxis, then it becomes a limousine” Malaysian taxis use meter? Can not trust them. Better off using Uber or Grab.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • sohai on Apr 12, 2017 at 9:21 am

    remove the so called “taxi companies”. let taxi drivers directly register under SPAD.
    every driver is their own boss. make them compete.
    and increase the punishment ( with enforcement) that if you fail to use meter, put them in jail and throw away the keys.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Ben Yap on Apr 12, 2017 at 10:16 am

    just put taxi merah, biru and emas.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • camtakpro on Apr 12, 2017 at 11:48 am

    There are already 3 Taxi payment classes:
    – metered
    – unmetered
    – uber/grab

    And there are 2 Taxi car types:
    – proton
    – non-proton.

    So what the shit are they streamlining?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • orang biasa on Apr 12, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    tu lah… dulu buka banyak line taxi untuk nak untung lesen taxi… skrg nak streamline taxi lesen become 3. Advice to taxi driver, straight switch to Ub or Gc, tak payah kasi duit lesen dan loan kereta kasi bloods??king company.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • panjang on Apr 12, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    Go for app based like grab.Implement the rating system.That is why app based driver behave properly.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Multi Management and Future Solutions on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:16 pm

    Increasing population would get increased of vehicles. Have you target a signal advisory firm for get earned with Multi management and future solutions.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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