GEORGE TOWN: Penang routes will now have their own on-demand e-hailing application for taxi drivers called 'cALLme CAB', following its launch here today.
Penang Taxi Associate Association chief Mohamad Shahimi Hadzri said 500 taxi drivers have already signed up for the app and another thousand taxi service providers in the state are likely to join it.
"We hope that others will join us so that we can serve Penangites better through the application.
"The rate is almost similar to Grab and we have three different categories of taxi ride they can choose from - budget, multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), and premium taxis," he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow launched the application today while accompanied by National Malaysian Co-operative (Angkasa) Penang liaison committee chairman Mohd Jamil Othman.
The fare starts at RM4 and passengers will be charged RM1.40 per kilometre.
Shahimi said the rates are fixed by Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and there would be no haggling over the rates as everything would be handled by the cALLme CAB application.
Chow lauded the willingness of taxi drivers to migrate to the new e-hailing system.
He said that the migration would enable the taxi drivers to regain the confidence of passengers to use their services more.
"Users want a transparent system. They know the rate before they use the service. So now, they do not need to worry.
"cALLme CAB will enable taxi drivers to compete with current technological advancements," he said.
The application was first launched at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last year by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.