Taxi drivers have called on the government to develop its own ride-hailing service that can be used across the nation, saying that such a move would ensure a fair distribution of wealth and growth of the industry. The call was made by Penyatuan Pemain Industri Pengangkutan Darat Malaysia (PPDM), representing the interests of taxi drivers, Malaysiakini reports.
In a memorandum that was delivered to the prime minister’s office, the organisation – made up of association leaders, operators and drivers involved in the country’s land transport industry – demanded that the government develop its own e-hailing application for the use of all parties as a replacement for applications owned by private companies.
“(The companies) have clearly robbed the industry of billions of ringgit and damaged the country’s taxi industry ecosystem, as well as created disharmony among taxi and e-hailing drivers,” it said.
According to the PPDM, the billions of ringgit accumulated by a government-run ride-hailing service could be used to upgrade the quality of taxi services and would also be able to provide insurance coverage schemes to taxi drivers and vehicles.
It added that the gains could also be used to provide scholarships for the children of taxi drivers and provide compensation of RM100,000 to their heirs. “In short, money from the industry will be returned to the industry and not allowed to be robbed out of the country, which has been the case all along,” the memorandum said.
Cabbies are also calling on the government to remove the double standards existing in taxi and ride-hailing services, applying consistent fare rates and regulations between both industries. “This is because both services carry out the same activities, which is to take passengers from one destination to another by charging a certain rate,” the PPDM said in its memorandum. It asked the government to recognise both industries under the commercial category.
The organisation claimed that it had sent many letters to the transport ministry and its minister, pleading for a solution to their problems, but none of these issues had been addressed. “As a result of that action, we as workers of the industry have had to go through a difficult and painful life. On that realisation, we think it is time for us to make changes, we will work with any component party that is willing to comply with our demands,” it said.
It’s not the first time that cabbies have demanded that the government intervene and take action against ride-hailing services. In the past, various taxi groups have asked authorities to ban services using private cars, saying that the presence of these had affected their livelihoods.
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I am so happy grab replace these taxi scammers.
Just sit inside only already charge RM15. FROM KLIA to Sunway more than RM100.
I SAT grab only barely RM1 for each km.
When they cannot brain to come out their own app, they demand Govt to make it for them. When such an app do get made, ie Mysejahtera, they will start to complain about arbitrary forced usage, the apps weaknesses, and other petty issues, much like the feedback for Mysejahtera. What then? They will demand Govt to deregulate and allow private apps or better yet for subsidies to create their own apps. So what is this noise about? Just a merry go around back to Square One.
Hot Take – abolish taxi industry entirely
Taxi drivers becomes e hailing drivers for existing services
“applying consistent fare rates … between both industries”
Then it’ll become a monopoly and customers don’t a want a monopoly.
“we think it is time for us to make changes”
how about changing jobs?
Aha eh, let’s see how their rates and services can compare to Grab first lol
It makes sense. We are giving our monies to Gxxx which is Singapore-based company, instead of to our own local company or GLC. Lack of patriotism among politicians is causing us to lose more. “Made in Malaysia, Pay to Malaysians” is about us.
I agree. Gomen also need to give PPDM cash relief or else local taxi industry will collapse & taken over by foreign companies.
PPDM: Tolong…. Nak minta tongkat…. Bukan OKU, kaki tangan masih berfungsi tapi tak larat nak berdiri…. Please la…. You help me I help you mah….
Blood suckers on wheel now can’t scam more victim and complain to government. You guys brought upon your own demise. Lousy service, refusal to use meter, picky on destination. You reap what you sow. Instead of looking for ways to build consumer confidence, you look for protectionist policy again. Nobody owe you guys anything.
Adapt, or bye bye. always want to be spoon fed one.
These taxi drivers are the real thugs, refuse to use meters, bad temper, occupied the lrt stations forming cartel, ldirty and smell cars…..now they want to complain?
taxi also can do grab.
lesser commision at 10% plus cheap ngv cost = more untung.
there is a reason people avoiding taxi tho. so creating new ehailing app will not solve the problem.
What’s the difference.. it’s on a platform.its the service level that killed them. Anyone who had taken taxi when they Monopoly the market ( before riding app) will have some horrible story to share. There may be 10% good ones, but those have likely changed to grab and doing OK now. So don’t bother!!
This is a result of decades of fleecing customers and tourists.
But I have to qualify that a small minority are honest drivers.
Taxi drivers & taxi industry only have themselves to blame for their predicament today.
Wasn’t that long ago that taxi drivers were behaving like thugs, cheating fares & some were lecherous perverts who preyed on women.
The cronies that owned Taxi companies are the biggest crooks (example botak of blue taxi). Not only do they leech off the taxi drivers but the licenses given to these cronies are to the benefit of certain persons with “connection” only.
So, we the rakyat don’t feel sorry for them nor do we support their archaic ways. Personally, I would rather pay extra for a Grab car than to take a run down, smelly taxi.
What happened to that big blue taxi ehailing app and few others that came after that?
You can do yourself, it is open market.
I think the government made a huge error in allowing Grab’s monopolistic acquisition of Uber, and that bad decision has unquestionably hurt consumers. But I confess I still think the bitter tears of those pirates who were for years ranked as the worst taxi drivers on Asia taste absolutely delicious. Keep crying, cabbies. You’ve nobody to blame but yourselves.
can not la, khazanah already invested in grab.
Taxi is a service of the old age era. Long long gone already. Those who are still stuck to it either due to their regular customers, stuck to the car commitment, or just don’t know what to do, and lastly those who are too comfortable scamming passengers instead of doing honest living.
It’s time to end the cab drivers. When they introduced PSV licenses, do you see ehailing drivers parking their cars in the middle of Jln Tun Razak to make a protest blocking the entire road? That’s because ehailing drivers are serious about making honest living and are not your cab gangsters.
I don’t blame the taxi drivers totally though. I blame the need for license, the taikors that hold the hot spot for pickup, and JPJ for their dumb taxi regulations (One of the taxi test back then was to do a slalom in 2nd gear without hitting the brakes).
My experiences with taxi drivers were never pleasant except for 2 times where one I hailed a taxi myself, and another was a booking I made introduced by a friend.
As for ehailing, nothing to worry about. Grab has an emergency button available, and if they don’t want to take my ride, they can just cancel and I’ll be given another driver.
Screw the taxi industry lah. Time to close that chapter already.
for what? for no demand or just cannot compete? cronies can go back kampong tanam jagong
gov have other task to do for rakyat
Rather than depending on the ‘private apps’. All of us know that if the gov develop the apps will take eternity to launch, because the ‘feasibility’ study will ‘rob’ million of ringgit. Why not just the driver use private car? I think that the cost of operations can be reduce drastically (because no need to pay the sewa of the taxi. If the grab driver can earn why depend on the taxi company?
Adapt. Improvise. Overcome. These lazy buggers just want to be spoon fed. If you want to compete, go do your own app and leave taxpayers money out of this.
This sounds like communism?