SPAD meets with angry cabbies

The two groups met for two hours to discuss the cabbies' grouses.

KUALA LUMPUR: Disgruntled taxi drivers today met with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) in a two-hour closed-door meeting to discuss their problems.

The meeting followed a five-hour protest which blocked off most of Jalan Bukit Bintang – one of KL’s busiest streets – yesterday.

Bestari Taxi Drivers of KL Association (Bukit Bintang) president Mohamed Asharaf Yasin (photo) told FMT that he and his colleagues were satisfied with the discussions with SPAD officials.

“It was all okay. We met with [SPAD chairman] Syed Hamid Albar,” he said, adding that the meeting took place at the SPAD’s KL Sentral headquarters.

Mohamed Asharaf said nine points were raised, some of which were claimed to have adversely affected the cabbies’ incomes.

In a press release, Syed Hamid listed the points as:

• free-to-ride GO-KL bus service;

• SPAD enforcement procedures during peak hours;

• the allegedly rough actions of SPAD enforcers against the cabbies on Oct 1;

• building a taxi stand at Bukit Bintang;

• Arab touts operating in the area;

• removing the RM2 taxi coupon system at KLCC and Pavilion;

• outstanding summonses which stop cabbies from renewing their driver cards;

• allowing KL cabbies to pick up passengers from KL International Airport (KLIA) and the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT); and

• call for a “uniform” agreement between cabbies and their companies.

Syed Hamid said that SPAD would also call for a meeting with relevant government agencies and find a solution to the cabbies’ grouses.

A larger strike

According to Mohamed Asharaf, SPAD would speak to KL City Hall over the building of a taxi stand at Bukit Bintang. The RM2 coupon charge, he added, would also be removed.

The other issues, he said, would be raised by Syed Hamid in Parliament in due time.

He also said that SPAD would get back to the cabbies on the matter within two weeks to a month.

“We will look at their commitment. We also hope to meet with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“But if they don’t want to listen to us, maybe we will do something bigger. A larger strike. That’s what we can do. Yesterday was only a small thing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Metered Taxi Driver Action Group urged Syed Hamid to step down immediately.

Its chairman, Amran Jan, claimed that SPAD had failed to take care of KL’s cabbies.

He said that taxi drivers had suffered for many years without various benefits, including social security (Socso), insurance protection schemes and the rent-buy agreement terms slapped on their cars.

Meanwhile, KL CID chief Ku Chin Wah said that the taxi drivers violated the Peaceful Assembly Act by staging their protest.

He said that the cabbies not only gathered illegally, but were found to have obstructed government servants.

Ku added that the police will investigate the matter further.