Insight into taxi games

TMM,Friday July 22, 2011 

One of the longest running battles ever fought in this country is still raging on. 

The war against errant taxi drivers appears lopsided as the authorities lack the will and manpower to overcome a group of loose individuals emboldened by lack of enforcement over the years. 

The flood of letters published by the Press concerning taxi drivers hardly evokes any response by the authorities. 

Granted that taxi issues are difficult to resolve, the authorities should at least provide some answers to show they are working towards it. 

No doubt, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) had been engaging with taxi associations but with no outcome, they seemed more like charades. 

The results had always been dismal and it is easy to know why as CVLB was entrepreneur-driven and officials from these associations, some claiming to represent the drivers, are owners of taxi companies with the sole aim of getting more taxi permits. 

Hence, status quo was maintained at the expense of the public. 

Taxi companies treat drivers as customers, not employees. Their business model is to find drivers with valid driving and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licences to sign up, make a down payment and drive off the taxi. 

The drivers are then left to their own devices as long as they keep paying the rental purchase installments on schedule. After several years, the driver gets to own the vehicle and the company transfers the permit to another taxi. 

Those who expected CVLB to provide statistics of action taken on complaints will be waiting in vain for the reply as it is now defunct. Taxi matters are now under the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) since early this year. 

SPAD should focus on moving forward rather than getting bogged down by forensics. Its decision should not be based on expediency as experience has shown that displaying a toll-free number for the public to complain will not automatically rein in the drivers. 

Some expatriates complain that taxi drivers take advantage of them being foreigners. If it is any consolation, errant taxi drivers will try to rip off from just about anyone, foreigners or locals, illegal immigrants or refugees, rich or poor. 

Most taxi drivers treat passengers at taxi stands or by the roadside as passing ships in the night and unlikely to meet them again. This is unlike other self-employed business or service that depends largely on regular customers. 

One may ask whether the problem of rude taxi drivers can be fixed. I would say we have the solution but not the will. In the past, CVLB may be short of enforcement officers but we do not need a whole army of them to monitor all taxi drivers. 

They do not have to wait for the public to complain either. All they have to do was to masquerade as a passenger and pick on the drivers touting outside their taxis at places like KLCC, KL Plaza and Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur. 

They should then publicise and make an example of those caught for serious offences without breaching defamation laws and the rest would fall in line. 

It will be even more effective if the authorities use the carrot and stick method. Good taxi drivers can be used as role models to inspire the rest. 

Most passengers who have been ripped off treat all taxi drivers with suspicion or scorn. Drivers, too, are cheated and some are injured or even killed by the passengers but that is another untold story. 

In conclusion, rude taxi drivers are but a reflection of our society. As long as there are too many of them, we will not succeed in transforming ourselves or achieving the aims of Vision 2020. 

I hope SPAD is more than just an amalgamation of several bodies. We will be back to square one if it continues the path left behind by CVLB. To educate the drivers and change their mindsets, it will have to start with the authorities and operators. 

Change will come when more caring Malaysians step forward to make their contributions for society. It is our personal social responsibility to make our nation a better place for its citizens and welcoming visitors to our country. 

How can we be proud when we have rude taxi drivers, snatch thefts, traffic violations, littering and discourteous behaviours occurring unabated? 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur