Taken for a ride by taxi drivers

OUR taxi drivers have a knack for being in the news for the wrong reasons. As it was reported recently, they were rude to the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during a recent dialogue in Langkawi, where about 10 of the 200 present rowdily walked out.

Well, what else is new? Many taxi drivers – not all – have always been rude to their passengers, and if we recall, they have been spotted as among the worst in the world.

In 2015, British cab site LondonCabs.co.uk rated Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers as the world’s “worst drivers imaginable” due to their penchant to overcharge by refusing to use a taxi meter or taking longer routes.

On the site’s “10 Countries with the Worst Drivers” list, it advised travellers in Kuala Lumpur that they would be better off opting for a different vehicle should drivers refuse to use the meter, adding that cabs were often in “old and poor condition” as well.

Instantly, Malaysian taxi drivers became world news – but the reality was that the long suffering Malaysian public was not going to defend them. From dishonest taxi drivers who fleeced their passengers, especially tourists, to non-presentable drivers to badly kept vehicles, we have all had our share of bad experiences.

Fast forward to 2018 – taxi drivers are complaining they are getting a bad deal with the Grab e-hailing service and demanded that Dr Mahathir terminate it.

A group of 10 taxi drivers were so adamant that the e-hailing service be cancelled that they heckled Dr Mahathir when after he said he would continue to find the best way to resolve the issue. When they were thrown out, they allegedly hurled parting vulgarities.

This left Dr Mahathir so upset that he said he was willing to step down as the Prime Minister, if that was what the “rogue” group wanted.

The problem with these taxi drivers is that they are too dependent on the government. In Singapore, unlike their “cry baby” counterparts in Malaysia, the taxi drivers fought back against Grab by launching their own apps to provide swift services. It’s a classic case of if you can’t beat them, join them, and the taxi drivers have done well.

The last count, I saw eight apps, which are used by the island republic’s 30,000 taxi drivers to compete head on with Grab.

MoobiTaxi, for example, does not even impose booking charges. Two others – ComfortDelGro and Taxi-Taxi2SG – have also done well to woo passengers, without the need to stand by the road side to flag a taxi, unlike the past.

Taxi drivers and companies in Taiwan have also done the same, instead of protesting and throwing abuses at politicians, and to threaten the Grab drivers, as they accept the reality that Grab drivers are here to stay.

Malaysia’s problem is more complicated admittedly.

The Pakatan Harapan is facing a legacy issue because taxi permits were given to companies and individuals who do not drive these cars. But let’s not pretend that the issue did not arise during Dr Mahathir’s 22 years as PM. It existed even during his time, and he knew the predicament of the taxi drivers then.

I remember during my time as a reporter, taxi drivers would wait for their turn to get a letter of support from then Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik.

They thought that as Transport Minister, he was in charge of giving out taxi permits, but he did not have the authority and despite numerous complaints from the public, nothing could be resolved by Dr Mahathir.

The patronage system, favoured the Barisan Nasional government then, and surely it would be unfair to expect Anthony Loke, the current Transport Minister, to resolve it overnight.

Taxi drivers are upset because many do not own their vehicles and permits despite plying the roads for decades.

And suddenly, earning a living got tougher because of the new competition.

However, this is a harsh world. The public is not sympathetic to the woes of the taxi drivers.

Malaysians will continue to use Grab and any other e-hailing service, instead of the conventional taxis, unless they get their act together.

Complaining will get them nowhere.

The perception is that our taxi drivers do not take pride in their jobs and do not act professionally.

We do not expect our drivers to put on a suit and tie, and white gloves like in Japan, but we do want them to take their work seriously.

The Japanese taxi drivers would never reject any passengers and have even helped drunken passengers into their vehicles, even if it means risking having their vehicles end up in a mess.

Well, we have been taken for a ride too long and now our taxi drivers will just have to find a way to navigate themselves out of the mess.

M. Krishnamoorthy is an associate professor, media coach and author. He was a journalist with The Star and New Straits Times.