Relax - Cabbies still don't play fair after fare hike

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AT LEAST three times last week, editorial assistant J. Anna found herself haggling with taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur.

It is nothing new for the German expatriate, who has been working in Kuala Lumpur for the last two years. The practice is common in a city where many cabbies can earn more by negotiating a higher fare than following the metered rate.

The sheer number of taxi drivers flouting the rules, usually without repercussions, means passengers often have little choice. Many places in the city are not easily accessible by other forms of public transport. But Ms Anna, 27, had hoped that things would change. The Malaysian government had announced last month that taxi fares would be revised upwards.

Under the new rules, which kicked in on Aug1, the flag-down rate is RM3 (S$1.20) instead of RM2. More significantly, the meter jumps more quickly when cabs are not moving, which is common because of the city's heavy traffic.

The fare hike, aimed at improving taxi drivers' earnings, was expected to increase their income by about 30 per cent.

Klang Valley Taxi Owners Association president Abdul Jalil Maarof called it a morale-booster.

When asked if the fare hike meant that drivers would now use the meter, he said: 'Of course. This will change everything and cabbies will surely follow the rules.'

But try telling that to commuters like Ms Anna, who sees only a slight improvement. 'There are many who still refuse to switch on the meter. They typically charge me more than double what it would have cost by using the meter,' she said. 'It's frustrating.'

Her views reflect what several reporters from The Star daily had experienced. They had gone undercover to take taxis at a few popular spots in the Klang Valley, a few days after the new fare structure kicked in. Their verdict: About 90 per cent of the cabbies were not using their meters.

That scenario is especially apparent in the heart of town, said property agent May Tan, 58, who takes taxis regularly.

'In places like KL City Centre and Bukit Bintang, taxi drivers will still prey on commuters and unsuspecting tourists,' she said. Such drivers charge more than double the metered fares, making the new 30 per cent increase pale in comparison.

Taxi drivers who are happy to charge by the meter have their own set of problems. Many of them complained about long queues at approved vehicle test centres to recalibrate their meters.

There are 21,000 taxis in the Klang Valley and only six calibration centres, which started recalibrating the meters after the government made the announcement on July16.

But up to now, it is estimated that 9,000 taxis are still using the old meter.

Cabbies claimed that this is because they had often waited in vain at the centres. Taxi driver P. Kanniah, 51, said his meter was not calibrated even after two days.

'Time is money. We can't earn anything by just sitting around and waiting until our number is called,' he said.

The result? Large groups of cabbies decided to forgo the adjustment and just add on the 30 per cent surcharge themselves, calling it a 'goodwill fee'.

So if it reads RM5 on their old meter, for instance, they might simply ask the passenger for another RM2.

'Most of them have been understanding and have no problem paying extra,' one driver told The Star.

The government quickly condemned the practice, warning that those who did so would be fined and have their licences revoked after their third offence.

The key issue in this saga is enforcement - a perennial problem despite the fare hike, commuters and industry experts told The Straits Times.

Government agencies such as the Road Transport Department and Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board are responsible for keeping errant cabbies in check. There are hotlines for customers to lodge complaints, but effective policing is seen as lacking.

'The authorities need to weed out the bad apples, but they say they don't have the manpower to do so,' said Mr Shaani Abdullah, secretary-general of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations.

He added that while taxi fares were regulated, overhead charges and rentals imposed on taxi drivers were not. So cabbies from poorly run taxi companies often resorted to ripping off commuters to pay off their high overheads.

These are key issues that need to be tackled, and the Federal Territories and Selangor Taxi Operators Association is aware of that, said its president Aslah Abdullah.

He believed 'the best form of enforcement is self-enforcement', and said he had been trying hard to educate drivers on the importance of improving their service after the fare hike.

A former cabby himself, Datuk Aslah considered the latest fare hike a big improvement and felt that drivers should reciprocate. 'But we still have a lot of work to do,' he said.

Upping the fees was supposed to improve the services of taxi drivers, the government had said. But it is starting to see that that was the easy part.

The hard work begins now.

chengwee@sph.com.sg

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.

Cabbies still don't play fair after fare hike

By Teo Cheng Wee, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times | Wed, Aug 26 2009

KL commuters at mercy of taxi drivers who refuse to charge by the meter.

Cabbies still don't play fair after fare hike

Keywords

taxi

kuala lumpur