PETALING JAYA: Conventional taxi drivers are unhappy with the Cabinet’s decision to legalise and regulate e-hailing services such as Uber and GrabCar.
Big Blue Taxi Services founder Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail questioned why the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) was “eager” to legalise these services.
“Why the rush to get Uber and GrabCar services approved when SPAD has not cleared up the illegal taxi activities in the city?
“Illegal taxi drivers are operating like kings on the road, yet SPAD is not doing anything,” he claimed, adding that this would only lead to illegal taxi drivers using private cars instead.
Shamsubahrin said while he was not against approvals given to e-hailing services, he said that the problems in the industry must first be resolved.
Federal Territory and Selangor Taxi Operators president Datuk Aslah Abdullah also questioned the move.
He alleged that SPAD used to engage with taxi operators before but had not done so recently.
“I don’t know what they are trying to do,” he said.
Fomca senior vice-president Datuk K. Koris Atan said the move would benefit consumers once the services were regulated.
“Such a move would allow for competition in the business which will ultimately benefit consumers.
“We are seeing about 150,000 new individual taxi, Uber and GrabCar drivers providing services to the public.
“I have been using Uber for the past 10 months and the service is excellent. The drivers are courteous. Perhaps taxi drivers should learn a thing or two in terms of work ethics,” he said.
He suggested that the welfare of conventional taxi drivers should also be looked into, suggesting that the starting fares be raised from the current RM3 to RM6.
“However, taxi drivers must be honest and not fleece their customers. If they are caught doing so, their permits should be revoked immediately,” he added.
