Most cabbies at the losing end

TS,Tuesday May 25, 2010

Perhaps about half of the metered taxi drivers try to fix fares, especially when they are asked to go to
destinations from which they are likely to return empty.

There are also passengers, especially tourists, who prefer a fixed fare, as they are aware that tampered
meters can register very high readings and do not wish to take the risk.

Executive taxi drivers are about the only ones who are always happy to use the meter, but find the
fares are often fixed by a third party who gets to meet passengers first.

For example, at a major hotel in the KLCC area, about 50-60 executive taxi drivers are allowed to join in the
queue to pick up hotel guests by paying a monthly fee and trip commissions to the taxi counter operator.

Before boarding the executive taxis, the hotel guests are told to pay the driver RM130 for the trip to
KLIA even though the metered fare plus toll and airport surcharge exceeds RM140.

At another major hotel along Jalan Bukit Bintang, guests are told that the taxi fare to KLIA costs
RM150. The executive taxi driver who is willing to pay in advance the RM50 commission demanded by
the bellboy or doorman will get the airport trip.

For many of these drivers, it may be the only trip to the airport that day. The RM100 they get is not
enough to pay for the fuel, toll, maintenance and vehicle rental or loan.

Yet this has been going on at major hotels for a very long time.

YS Chan

Kuala Lumpur