PUTRAJAYA: Kesepakatan Persatuan Teksi Se-Malaysia, a group representing 300 taxi associations nationwide, today submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ban Uber and Grab services immediately.
Its representative Zailani Isa Usuludin said Uber and Grab services were illegal as they breached Section 16 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
The section of the act provides that no person shall operate or provide a public vehicle service using a class of public service vehicles unless he holds an operator’s licence.
"We, the taxi drivers, urge the government to take this issue seriously, as the presence of Uber and Grab drivers has greatly affected the income of about 77,000 taxi drivers nationwide.
"Passengers now have opted for Uber and Grab because they claim the services are cheaper. However, such services are against the law and the government should not allow them to operate the business," he told reporters after submitting the memorandum at the Prime Minister's Office.
The memorandum was handed over by Zailani to the Prime Minister's Office assistant secretary Megat Shah Hamerul Megat Mohd Yusof.
Meanwhile, about 200 taxi drivers from across the peninsula gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office to protest against Uber and Grab.
Putrajaya and Selangor Visionary Taxi Drivers Association chairman Saari Omar said some cabbies in the Klang Valley have lost their source of income by 65 per cent since the ride-hailing services came along.
He said Uber and Grab drivers were considered illegal operators as they are not licensed and have no public service vehicle (PSV) permits.
"In addition to that, they are not paying tax to the government. Some Uber and Grab drivers also fail to wear appropriate attire.
"Taxi drivers would be penalised if we were caught not wearing proper uniform.
"We want the government to look into our ordeal and concerns over our wellbeing, as cabbies are the country's ambassadors," he said.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi had said the government has given its approval for both Uber and Grab to operate, and new PSV permits will be issued, which will be known as ‘driver cards’.
He added that the new permits will also allow the government to legalise Uber and Grab services without amending existing laws.