THERE is little to differentiate between ride-hailing drivers and cabbies. In fact, many drivers, who use ride-hailing applications, are former taxi drivers.
Around the world, there are more than a dozen large transportation network companies. Many have been ripped off by drivers using modified smartphones and software to place fake bookings and receive payments for phantom trips.
Ever since Kuala Lumpur International Airport opened in 1998, the number of taxis at the terminal will taper off approaching midnight, but a large number of them will suddenly appear past midnight when the 50 per cent surcharge kicks in.
With ride-hailing apps providing stiff competition to taxis, one would think that this would be a thing of the past, but such trickery not only continues but has escalated.
We must remember that ride-hailing apps can only detect the presence of smartphones used by Uber or Grab drivers, not their vehicles.
They can easily gang up by switching off their apps, creating an artificial shortage and causing fares to surge upwards.
Transportation network companies are fully aware of the antics of their drivers. However, they would rather manage the problems discreetly than address them in the open.
Many Uber and Grab drivers work mostly part-time. One would not suspect they are moonlighting by appearance, as they do not stand out in a crowd.
But the mannerism of a typical taxi driver is a dead giveaway. They are creatures of habit and you can read them like a book.
One of their most annoying habits is taking their time to return change. The extra seconds seem like eternity to harried passengers. Encouraged by their success in getting a few passengers to leave the taxi without waiting for the change, they try to pull the same trick on others.
Over time, ride-hailing service standards, too, will drop when long -serving drivers get jaded. The same smartphone and vehicle may be passed around by family members or friends, and passengers could be in danger when they fall into wrong hands
C.Y. MING, Ampang