Large-scale operation to stamp out pirate taxis

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police will be conducting a large-scale operation to eradicate the pirate taxis (kereta sapu) that have been on the rise in the state, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali.

He said the police would not compromise with these pirate cabbies over their illegal activities and as such, the Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department has been ordered to implement ‘Ops Sapu’ throughout the state beginning yesterday.

“I have ensured that all district police chiefs and police frontliners take stern action without compromising with any individual found to be involved in illegal taxi activities,” he told reporters here yesterday.

He was commenting on a viral video about a van driver who ran an illegal taxi operation and was issued a compound for violating the Movement Control Order (MCO) standard operating procedure (SOP) a er ferrying eight passengers recently.

Hazani said although the video claimed that the police were not tolerant towards villagers who wanted to go out and purchase necessities, the villagers themselves need to understand the importance of maintaining the SOP to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“The police have understood the villagers’ situation all this time. That is why we allow them to go out and buy necessities during the MCO… but they need to comply with the prescribed SOP.

“Regarding the issue that went viral, the pirate taxi was carrying eight passengers and that violates the set SOP, which only allows 50 per cent or five passengers in the van,” he said.

He added the villagers were not entirely to blame because there was a high possibility that they did not know about the SOP.

“We blame the pirate taxi because this has been an existing issue in Sabah. We know that these taxis do not comply with the law, what more the SOP during the MCO… that is why we will stamp out pirate cabs in Sabah,” he said.

Hazani said the police would seek cooperation from other enforcement agencies, including the Road Transport Department to conduct joint operations against the activities of pirate taxis.