Cabbies protest against MyTeksi’s ‘GrabCar’ service

It will affect the livelihood of taxi drivers, as even those without a taxi driver's permit are allowed to pick up passengers.

PETALING JAYA: Taxi drivers in Subang Jaya held a protest against MyTeksi today, following the “GrabCar” service introduced by the company which has affected their daily livelihood.

“GrabCar” is an online service offered via the MyTeksi application which allows passengers to hail ordinary cars and the drivers need not possess a public driver’s licence.

Subang Jaya Taxi Drivers Association (PPTSJ) secretary S. Mathavan said the application would not only destroy the career of a taxi driver.

“It will affect the livelihood of taxi drivers, when even those without a taxi driver’s permit are allowed to pick up passengers.

“Their (GrabCar) service can pose a danger to the safety of passengers as they are not registered with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and it is not valid under the law,” he told reporters at Section 13 here, today.

About 100 taxi drivers from around Subang Jaya held a peaceful rally to hand over a memorandum of protest to MyTeksi, causing a 30-minute traffic jam in the area.
Mathavan said the memorandum was to urge MyTeksi to discontinue the “GrabCar” service.

“If this matter is not heeded, we will not hesitate to take greater action to safeguard the livelihood of taxi drivers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Taxi Drivers’ Transformation Association (PERS1M) vice-president Kamarudin Mohd Hussain said it would support any association that fought to protect the rights of taxi drivers.

“We are very disappointed with the lack of care shown by SPAD, which seems to ignore the taxis via ‘Grabcar’ and ‘Uber’ recently,” he said.

He said SPAD gave the same excuse every time they went to see them, that the matter was out of their jurisdiction.

PERS1M and other taxi drivers’ associations, had agreed to hold a massive rally, he said.

“We do not intend to fight the government, but we are taking action because we are forced to do so, when nobody wants to protect our rights as taxi drivers,” he added.

– BERNAMA