Taxi companies to proceed with new fares until SPAD tells otherwise

Until a final decision is made by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) about the postponement of the implementation of the new fare increase for taxis, the Gabungan Persatuan dan Syarikat-syarikat Teksi Semenanjung Malaysia (Gabungan) will continue to operate with the new taxi fares.

Gabungan vice-president Datuk Aslah Abdullah said this was because the taxi fares in the country had not been reviewed for almost six years.

"Our taxi drivers are very happy with the announcement about the new fare increase for taxis. Why wouldn't they? There have been no increase in taxi fares since 2009," he told a press conference at the Gabungan headquarters here today.

Aslah also commented on the Metered Taxi Drivers Task Force chairman Amran Jan's remarks yesterday that around 37,000 taxi drivers in Klang Valley would go on strike if the new fare increase for taxis announced by SPAD were to be postponed or scrapped.

"If they are determined to go on strike, that's their problem. We will not get involved in that.

"For now, we will just wait for the final decision from SPAD...for me, going on strike is not a good decision to show our protest," he said.

Meantime, Malaysian Taxi, Limousine and Car Rental Operators and Drivers Association (Petekma) president Mohd Shahrir Abdul Aziz called on the government to reconsider the decision to postpone the new fare increase for taxis.

He said this was because 3,000 out of the 23,000 taxi drivers under Petekma had recalibrated their taxi meters according to the new fares.

"We knew that the increase in taxi fares had already been approved and only waiting to be announced...that was why many drivers had sent their taxis to have the meters recalibrated to the new fares," he told reporters.

If the new fares were to be put on hold or scrapped, Mohd Shahrir said the drivers would not only suffer losses from the calibration of taxi meters, but also subjected to high operating and maintenance costs.

On March 19, SPAD announced an increase in taxi fares between 20 and 67 per cent with immediate effect, while the increase of 22.6 per cent for express bus fares to begin from May 15.

However, on March 21, the Cabinet asked SPAD to postpone the hike in public transportation fares, saying that the increase was not suitable in light of thecurrent situation.