GrabCar affecting our business, taxi drivers say

More than a hundred taxi drivers in Klang Valley held a protest on Monday against 'GrabCar' a chauffeured service offered by online taxi service, MyTeksi.

The taxi drivers claimed the GrabCar service has been affecting their income, not to mention creating unfairness for Malaysian taxi industry.

"This is unfair. We worked hard to get the special licence, driver's card but they easily become 'taxi drivers' just because they used the GrabCar application," Subang Jaya Taxi Association Secretary, S. Mathavan.

The Grabcar app enables anyone to offer pick up and drop-off services to any destination, using normal cars.

It also doesn't require its drivers to own a vocational driving licence or even a taxi permit.

The cars that are used do not need to go through inspections and obtain certification from the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom).

"Passengers will be exposed to various risks because both the driver and the car are not registered with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

"There are also GrabCar drivers who used to be taxi drivers whose driving licenses and permits were revoked for committing road offenses and crimes. So there is no guarantee of safety for the passengers," said Mathavan.

The gathering was followed by the submission of a protest memorandum to MyTeksi, hoping they can put pressure on MyTeksi to remove GrabCar services.

According to Mathavan, the handing over of the memorandum was made after being disappointed with the authorities, as their previous complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

"We have filed many complaints to SPAD before, but the answers are always the same - that they will issue an instruction to the authorities to take action.

"Until now, no action has been taken... in fact, we were given the reason that the matter was not under SPAD's jurisdiction," he said.

Most of these protesters were taxi drivers under MyTeksi. They decided to boycott the service for seven days starting Monday after being disappointed with MyTeksi for introducing GrabCar without consulting the drivers first.

"If this call is not heeded, we will not hesitate to take further action," he said.

Meanwhile, PERS1M Vice President Kamarudin Mohd Hussain said any taxi association that fights for the right of taxi drivers will be supported.

According Kamarudin, the government had previously advised taxi drivers to upgrade their services apart from strengthening the taxi industry by introducing Taxi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1M).

"But when such services (like GrabCar) were allowed to exist, how would these recommendations achieve its goal?

"We do not intend to leave out the government, but it won't be impossible because we would forced to do it, as nobody wants to protect our rights as taxi drivers," he added.