No support for cabbie protest

Yesterday's taxi driver protest failed to garner public sympathy. Their poor reputation may be the reason.

KUALA LUMPUR: If there was one thing that yesterday’s cabbie protest failed to achieve, it was roping in the public for support.

Their five-hour demonstration on Jalan Bukit Bintang yesterday did not seem to win many Malaysians over to their side.

A glance at FMT’s comments section showed that KL cabbies had a poor reputation as the city’s ferrymen, earning them little sympathy in the process.

“I have little or no sympathy for these taxi drivers,” said Facebook user Hazri Haili.

“I know life is hard as a taxi driver, but the majority of you at Bukit Bintang are the ones that rip me and tourists off. Tough luck.”

Users were also critical of the cabbies’ opposition towards the free-to-ride GO-KL bus service, which was recently set up on two routes in the city.

One user, James Ak Sakai, said: “Sorry, I have no sympathy with the budget cabbies especially. Last time, they asked for a hike on the taxi fare with the promise of using the meter, but what happened after that?”

Another, Ryan Shanker Rajasekar, said: “GO-KL is better, because they’re not going to rip-off customers. Drivers not only want to cut the throats of tourists but also the locals.

“They can protest all they want. All I can say is they deserve it and please maintain the GO-KL bus service.”

Other users also praised the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) for coming down hard on errant cabbies in recent months.

A Facebook user, Choo Eng Hong was one of them: “They charge hefty prices according to their whim and fancies… I may agree to some of their issues. However, I support SPAD in taking action against them…”

‘This is very bad’

Though supportive of taxi drivers, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel (MATTA) president Mohd Khalid Harun appeared at wits’ end with them.

He said he did not know why cabbies would protest against the GO-KL service, adding that it was a benefit for everyone in KL.

“You can claim that we’re best in a lot of things, but when it comes to taxis, what number are we in the world? Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta’s taxis are better than ours,” he told FMT.

Mohd Khalid added that more people would have a better opinion of KL’s cabbies if their drivers were more well-mannered and their cars kept in good condition.

He added that he, too, had been brushed off by disinterested cabbies before. “I wanted to go from Putra World Trade Centre to KLCC (a 6km trip), but they didn’t want to take me,” he said, relating an experience.

Mohd Khalid said that the cabbies then said that there were traffic jams in the city, and told him to go take the train instead.

“This is very bad. Why are the taxis so choosy of getting customers?”

Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit spokesman Rajiv Rishyakaran had similar sentiments.

Disapproving of yesterday’s protest, he said: “Taxi drivers must use the meters and SPAD must act, for it is in the interest of the people [for them to do so].”