Go to the ground to study situation

TS,Wednesday August 4, 2010

WITH reference to “See how the other half lives” (The Star, Aug 2), I wish to offer an insight
with the hope that the points raised by the concerned writer will not be ignored.

For a start, let me share with you that even taxi drivers dread taking taxis. I should know
because I am a taxi driver and I have overheard other drivers telling each other the same story.

As for the “No haggling” stickers, they have little effect on errant cab drivers, which is no
surprise really, considering that even those with salaried jobs and pensions are not deterred
by the “No corruption” stickers.

A taxi driver choosing a destination may have a valid reason when he has an appointment to
keep or needs a toilet or meal break and will try to pick up passengers for short trips or those
along his way.

However, most do it for unacceptable reasons, such as passengers not willing to pay a fixed
fare or an arbitrary surcharge to the metered fare.

The main reason for the poor standard of local taxi service is that both the authorities
and taxi companies lack accountability in combating the taxi menace.

Apart from enforcement, one of the most effective ways to rein in drivers is to compel
them to submit a printed fare receipt monthly.

As running numbers are automatically imprinted, the number of receipts issued for each
month can easily be tracked by the taxi companies or the authorities.

It will also be a great idea to preset the meter with an additional 30 sen for printing out the
receipt as drivers will then be happy to issue them and passengers are more likely to be
charged the correct fare.

The printed receipts are the best evidence against tampered meters as relevant and
indisputable details are recorded for the authorities to act.

Executive taxi drivers are always happy to use the meter as their rates are more than double
that of budget taxis.

Although executive taxi rates are comparatively lower than that of taxis in many other
countries, most tourists still prefer to use budget taxis.

Some visitors try to pay budget taxi fares when using executive or premier (between budget
and executive) taxis, especially when they are unable to differentiate the various classes of taxis.

Orderly taxi stands where the vehicle at the head of the queue is driven off once the
passengers have got in are getting rare due to lack of enforcement. Many of these taxi
stands have been taken over by rogue drivers who gang up to fleece passengers.

These same spots can be hunting grounds for the enforcement personnel but they seem
more busy stopping overloaded trucks.

Nowadays, it is difficult to tell whether it is a proper taxi queue or not without making
enquiries on the spot, which reflects the state of degradation we are in.

In my last 10 years of driving taxis, my clean record with the Commercial Vehicle Licensing
Board and the Road Transport Department can also be attributed to lack of enforcement.
In my case, I have never encountered any enforcement officer while driving a taxi.

In the past, drivers who were denied individual permits have to source their licensed vehicles
from taxi companies.

In a recent report, 3,000 drivers were granted permits to operate the Proton Exora as
1Malaysia taxis. Flooding the market with taxis will not solve problems but instead create
a very unhealthy industry. This is common knowledge.

The swinging of the pendulum from one end to the other will perpetuate the failure of
our taxi system, as the drivers will not treasure these permits. Instead, drivers applying
for taxi permits should first be placed in a registry for close monitoring, undergo a
probationary period after getting their new permits and attend short training courses from
time to time.

Having their own vehicles and permits are of no guarantee that these drivers will be extra
careful as operating a more expensive vehicle but using the same budget taxi meter can be
a recipe for disaster.

When these drivers fall behind in payments of their hire purchase loans, desperation will
force them to continue with their antics.

Those in charge of issuing permits can continue to be academic with all the facts,
figures, imagination and solutions. However, they will only realise the urgency when they
experience first-hand the frustrations of a stranded or harassed passenger.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur