Disgusted passenger calls klia2 taxi counter staff’s bluff

An irate passenger wants the taxi counter at the klia2 terminal to stop foisting premium taxis on passengers as the practice is unfair to passengers as well as budget taxi drivers. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 19, 2015. 

A passenger has expressed disgust at what he claims are dirty tricks to coerce people into taking a premium instead of a budget taxi at the taxi counter at the klia2 terminal in Sepang.

Raj Kumar said on September 1, he was quoted a higher-than-usual fare at the taxi counter when he tried to secure a taxi to Gombak.

“The staff at the counter quoted a figure higher than the usual fare. When I questioned the difference, she said the fare was for a premium taxi,” he said.

Raj said he refused to succumb to the trick because it was not the first time he had been told by someone at the counter to take a premium taxi when he wished to take a budget taxi.

“Knowing their gimmicks, I insisted on a budget taxi and that I would wait. The woman was unhappy. She then pretended to ask her colleague if there were a budget tax available. I saw her winking at her colleague before she told me that she had received instructions from the gate that only premium taxis were available.

“I challenged her and asked for these instructions and she got impatient. I told her again to just give me a budget taxi. She was clearly upset about this and warned me that the fare was not refundable,” he said.

Raj said that was unfair because the customer had the right to insist on the taxi service that he wanted.

“If the service is not provided, the taxi operator has to refund the fare. The warning that it is not so is unacceptable,” he said.

Raj claimed that when he went to the taxi stand, he counted 11 budget taxis waiting at the gate.

“I then asked the taxi co-ordinator, who was in blue uniform, why his colleague had said that there weren’t any budget taxis available. He said that the taxis had just come in.

“I then got into the taxi and asked the taxi driver how long he and the other taxis had been at the gate.

“He told me that they had been waiting there for some time and it was not true that there were no taxis. He said there were ‘internal dealings’ between the staff and premium taxi drivers to push their taxis. The taxi driver said budget taxis had sometimes to wait hours for passengers,” he said.

Raj said he was disgusted at the tricks the taxi operators were playing.

“As a local passenger, I am disgusted. Imagine the number of tourists who are being cheated. I also pity the small-time taxi drivers unfairly deprived of business,” he said.

Raj said he had reported the incident to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and other authorities.

“I hope to see the issue resolved soon,” he said.

A SPAD spokesman said Raj's complaint had been forwarded to the klia2 bus and taxi counter services concessionaire appointed by Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB).

“SPAD will be holding a meeting with both the concessionaire and MAHB on September 21 to address the complaint and improvise the queue management system,” she said.

The spokesman also said the customer must always be given the taxi class of his or her preference.

“That is unless he or she has more than two large travelling bags, in which case the executive taxi would be advisable because it has a larger baggage capacity,” she said.

- TMI