Driving everyone up the wall
The only constants in life are change, death and taxes, but taxi drivers are still resisting change.
JUST RM7.20. That was all it cost me to take an Uber ride from my home in Taman Tun to the office the other day.
I could have hailed a taxi, but I would have had to walk a bit, hope that a cab would drive by the main road, and when I did hail one down, hope and pray that the driver would be agreeable to driving in the direction of my destination. Besides, my friends have been using ride-hailing apps for some time now, and I wanted to find out what all the hoopla was about services like Uber and GrabCar.
My first Uber ride was all of 15min, but it was a pleasant and painless experience – quite unlike what motorists had to put up with in Bukit Bintang on March 29.
Certain main routes in Kuala Lumpur were gridlocked as a result of a protest by more than 200 taxi drivers on Jalan Bukit Bintang. These drivers, blocking the famed tourist haven, staged a protest against Uber and GrabCar for allegedly trimming their earnings.
Jalan Bukit Bintang is probably the most famous street in the Golden Triangle.
Numerous five-star hotels and shopping malls line both sides of the road and one can easily deduce why the cab drivers picked this particular stretch to stage their protest. They may have achieved maximum impact and maximum exposure, but the sympathy they have received from the general public was, well, minimal.
While I empathise with the plight of genuine taxi drivers who have seen their earnings shrink, the actions of the 200 have further alienated the estimated 37,000 drivers from their customer base.
Certain quarters – motorists, commuters, office workers, tourists – were furious at the protest which caused a massive traffic jam, only to be cleared with the intervention of the police two hours later.
They say the only thing constant in life is change, death and taxes. The sooner cab drivers realise this, the better.
The war between ride-hailing drivers and taxi drivers is a perfect example of one party not adapting to change. And this change is not only confined to technology, but the attitude of taxi drivers and the authorities governing them.
Taxi companies and drivers have no one to blame but themselves. For years, passengers have had to put up with a litany of abuses like overcharging, refusal to go to congested areas, taking longer routes, declining short trips, not using meters, etc, etc.
Try hailing a cab during peak hours in the city and if you’re lucky enough to get one to stop, chances are, you’ll be quoted an exorbitant rate to get to your destination or be faced with outright rejection in taking you there.
Yes, cabbies lament the high cost of living, for spare parts, petrol, NGV; yet, the increase in taxi fares, thrice in 10 years, have done very little to appease the cabbies who still think they are being marginalised.
Lest we forget, the last taxi fare increase was a 40% hike a year ago.
Is it any wonder now that more and more people are choosing ride-hailing services over taxis? Uber and GrabCar have proven to be more efficient, less troublesome, hassle-free and most importantly, cheaper than your average taxi.
In general, it is also safer, especially for women, as you’re informed of your driver’s name, his/her phone number and the car plate number. You’re also given the option to forward that information on to a friend or family members, all in a few taps on your smartphone.
My colleague, who has been using taxis for 20 years, has switched to ride-hailing services over the last three years because of the cost. She lives on Old Klang Road and she gave me examples to illustrate her point:
Fares during peak hour period (after 5 pm – gridlock, bumper-to-bumper kind of traffic)
1) Menara Star to Taman OUG – RM35 budget taxi
2) Menara Star to Taman OUG – RM45 TEKS1M (Taxi 1 Malaysia)
3) Menara Star to Taman OUG – RM25 Uber (non-surcharge rate)
4) Menara Star to Taman OUG – RM23 GrabCar – fixed peak hour rate
As you can see, it’s a no-brainer. She told me that she had yet to be charged a surcharge rate by Uber or Grab, despite using their services during peak hours.
Following the March 29 protest, the Transport Minister announced that alternative taxi services like Uber and Grab will be registered under the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) as soon as possible.
Personally, I think there’s a winwin situation here. The Klang Valley, or other large urban centres like Penang and Johor Baru, for that matter, are sizeable enough to accommodate both the traditional taxis and “smart” cabs.
The ball is now in SPAD’s court and they should not delay any further because they have been having ongoing talks with Uber and Grab for more than a year now.
In fact, the ride-hailing apps have been in Malaysia for three years now. So, this standoff with the taxi drivers should have been resolved by now.
The new LRT routes and the advent of the MRT next year will, I hope, change the landscape of public transport in the Klang Valley. Passengers/consumers will choose the cheapest and most efficient form of transportation to get to their destinations.
Even Uber and their like could be affected, what more the taxi drivers.
The war between ride-hailing drivers and taxi drivers is a perfect example of one party not adapting to change.