4PAM calls for resignation of SPAD chairman

Public transport consumer association chief says SPAD's Taxi Transformation Plan is a complete failure.

PETALING JAYA: Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) Chairman Syed Hamid Albar should resign as the Taxi Transformation Plan has failed, says Public Transport Consumer Association (4PAM) president Ajit Johl.

Commenting on the recent video that has gone viral showing an angry taxi driver shouting insults at a suspected ride-sharing app driver and his passengers, Ajit said taxi drivers should not take the law into their own hands.

He said the video clearly showed provocation and harassment, and added that whether the car was providing legal service or otherwise, taxi drivers did not have the right to stop the car.

Ajit said the public spat between those using the ride-sharing apps and taxi drivers has been ongoing for the past year and SPAD should have taken action against such “thugs” but had failed to do so.

“If the regulator cannot suspend unruly drivers for doing nonsense, then what’s the purpose of having them?”

“How many protests have there been? How many taxi drivers have become ‘policemen’?” he questioned, adding that if taxi drivers had a problem with their livelihood due to competition, then it should be addressed correctly.

Meanwhile, SPAD in a statement to FMT said it has yet to receive any police report on the incident.

“SPAD does not condone violations of the law. Individual taxi drivers should not take the law into their own hands.

In cases where alleged criminal charges were meted out against individual taxi drivers, SPAD said it will wait for the official report from the police and immediately suspend or revoke the individuals’ Driver’s Card and/or the related Operator’s License if a driver was found guilty.

“SPAD also continues to enforce the law with regard to illegal taxis, which includes those using Uber, Grab and Blacklane.

SPAD added that from June 2011 to March 2016, it had nabbed and brought to book 611 illegal taxis, and to date 487 cases involving illegal taxis had been taken to Court.

Under Section 16 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010, those guilty of providing taxi services using unlicensed vehicles can be fined up to RM10,000 or one year jail or both.

The viral video, titled “Pemandu Teksi Menyerang Pemandu Grab Car Memalukan Penumpang Pelancong #MalayaKita”, was uploaded four days ago and has garnered over 20,000 hits.

Grab has since denied that the driver who was verbally abused in the video, was attached to the company.