A READER in Johor Baru wrote a letter to complain about cabbies’ lack of courtesy. The writer claimed that seven drivers of taxis he took were impolite, dishonest and unfriendly.
Instead of using meters, the cabbies charged exorbitant fares, said the writer.
Then, the drivers became rude and abusive when he hesitated to board their taxis for charging high fares. One driver shouted: “If you don’t want, who cares?”
The writer expressed concern that these cabbies might tarnish the image of the industry.
He hoped that taxi drivers would be more courteous and make passengers feel comfortable and safe.
This would boost the image of taxi drivers.
He said cabbies faced competition from Uber and Grab.
The image of the taxi industry is at an all-time low. By urging cabbies to do better, many believe that we are fighting a losing battle.
Many taxi drivers do not care about improving their image. They’re also not bothered about the condition of their taxis.
There are rotten apples in every trade and it is important that they are removed.
The public must report errant drivers to the authorities. The declining state of taxi service is due to public apathy.
The two enforcement agencies are the Road Transport Department (RTD), which issues public service vehicle (PSV) licences to the cabbies, and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), which issues driver cards and taxi permits in Peninsular Malaysia.
Although RTD operates nationwide with a large team of enforcement officers, its website needs upgrading. It’s not user-friendly for people to make complaints.
Passengers can call the SPAD hotline at 1-800-88-7723; send to Twitter @aduanspad, type SMS: SPAD Aduan
Errant cabbies will continue to charge exorbitant fares or be rude to passengers if they think they can get away with it.
But after they have been called for questioning by an enforcement agency, they will turn over a new leaf.
Hardcore offenders should have their PSV licence and driver card suspended, and their cabs impounded so that taxi firms take greater responsibility for their drivers.
The public and authorities should show these cabbies that we mean business.
Y.S. CHAN, Kuala Lumpur.