KL cabbies still not using meters

Despite constant warnings by the authorities, these drivers show little remorse and remain unperturbed of how this execrable practice is tarnishing the name of honest cabbies as well as the country’s image.

Over a month ago, transport comparison website londoncabs.co.uk described the taxi service in Malaysia to be the worst in the world with complaints of overcharging, detouring and refusing to use the meter.

Astro Awani went to the streets and our investigations revealed that taxi drivers were still up to their old tricks.

Our reporter, who spent close to four hours as a 'tourist', hailed 13 taxis with 12 cabbies refusing to use their meters.

Their excuse was "bad traffic" - despite it being a Sunday afternoon!

Checks at Pudu Sentral and KLCC revealed that passengers were being quoted fares as high as RM20 for a 2 km journey and RM70 for an 18km journey.

Five taxi drivers in Pudu Sentral said it would cost between RM49 to RM55 to get to Subang and it would cost RM 15 to RM20 to get to Bukit Bintang.

One taxi driver even said it would cost RM20 to get to Dataran Merdeka which was barely 2km away! The journey would usually cost between RM3.80 to RM4.20 on a good day.

Our team later moved to KLCC and was surprised to find that even taxi drivers there refused to use their meters.

Seven cabbies, stopped at the taxi stand just outside KLCC, refused to use the meter and wanted a fee of RM20 to get to Bukit Bintang. One driver even said it would cost RM70 from KLCC to Subang. (see accompanying story)

In 2009, the government agreed to increase the fare for taxis, rental cars as well as school buses after certain quarters claim taxi drivers did not use the meters as the previous fares were "too low".

Taxi passengers had since paid 30 per cent more in fares.

Passengers previously paid RM2 flag-off fare but it now cost RM3 for the first kilometre or three minutes.

The fare revision also see passengers being charged 10 sen for every 115m compared to 150m previously. During heavy traffic, the fare is 10 sen for every subsequent 21 seconds compared to 45 seconds previously.

Incentives for taxi drivers have also been pouring in.

The government set aside RM35 million for taxi drivers under the Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1Ma) programme in June where the first driver of each taxi would receive a RM520 tyre subsidy to replace four tyres over a period of two years.

The government was also mulling to extend Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits to self-employed taxi drivers.

Astro Awani's reporter Arfa Yunus shares her experience hailing cabs in downtown KL.

I was forced to pay RM20 for a for a 2.5 km ride from my office in Bukit Kewangan to Kampung Attap last week.

As it was an assignment I could not afford to miss, I was literally held ransom by this taxi driver.

After hearing about the episode, my editors sent me out to see if there were other taxi drivers who refused to use the meter.

Armed with a pair of sunglasses and a fake accent, I headed to Jalan Pudu on a Sunday afternoon and I managed to stop a few taxis in front of Pudu Sentral.

Pretending to be a tourist, I hailed five cabs and informed them that I wanted to go to Subang. Instead of asking me to get in, they said they would not be using the meter and I would be charged between RM49 to RM55 to get there.

I was disappointed. These cabbies were still up to their old tricks.

One taxi driver even went as far as quoting a fee of RM20 to get from Pudu Sentral to Dataran Merdeka.

Other cabbies also said it would cost between RM15 to RM20 to get to Bukit Bintang from Pudu Sentral.

The distance between Jalan Pudu and Jalan Bukit Bintang was not very far but they still wanted RM20!

It wasn’t my first day in Kuala Lumpur and I found it quite ridiculous when I was informed that the reason it would cost that much is because of "bad traffic" on a Sunday afternoon.

I then headed to KLCC to only find the taxi fares to be even more unreasonable.

I hailed seven cabs in front of KLCC and when I told them I wanted to go to Bukit Bintang they told me it would cost RM20. One taxi driver also said it would cost me RM70 to get to Subang from KLCC.

Surely, the distances between Pudu to Bukit Bintang and KLCC to Bukit Bintang are not the same.

While some smiled when I informed them I could not afford the fare, there were others who were clearly annoyed when I declined their offer.

The next day, I decided to hail a cab but I was taken by surprise when this taxi driver said he will charge me according to the meter.