BN does not fear taxi drivers’ election threat over Uber, Grab

PUTRAJAYA: The government does not fear a threat by taxi drivers to vote the opposition in the coming polls, but it will find ways to help them compete with ride-hailing services, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The deputy prime minister said the government was not siding with the providers of ride-sharing services which were gaining popularity.

“I will ask the transport minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and minister in the prime minister’s department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri to meet the taxi drivers.

“There is no need to make threats. We (Barisan Nasional) are not afraid of threats,” he told a news conference at the home ministry today.

Zahid, who is also the home minister, was responding to Big Blue Taxi Services founder Shamsubahrin Ismail’s warning that taxi drivers would vote Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the general election if the government failed to settle the issue of ride-sharing companies Uber and Grab jeopardising the earnings of the regular taxis.

“Stop all the drama and show true leadership by fulfilling the promise made in the last election not to harm the rice bowl of taxi drivers,” he said.

The Dewan Rakyat passed a law in July last year to empower the government to regulate services provided by companies such as Uber and Grab. -FMT