Uber, Grabcar, taxi dispute - government to decide soon

The government will decide soon to resolve the dispute between taxi service and Uber and Grabcar operations to achieve a win-win situation for both sides.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said, to reach a long term solution, National Land Public Transport (SPAD) has conducted a taxi transformation lab together with government agencies and relevant stakeholders.

He said, as a result of the lab, SPAD has finalised several suggestions on initiatives to improvise the taxi industry as a whole and all these initiatives were being looked into.

“The new policy for regulating and monitoring the online taxi booking system via smartphones and mobile applications is also being developed.

“Some conditions and standards will be introduced to ensure that all providers of these applications provide quality service to consumers and at the same time benefit the drivers.

“This new policy will create a win-win situation and ensure equality among both ordinary taxi drivers and those using online reservation applications,” said Nancy in a Parliament written reply today.

She was replying to a question from Bukit Bintang Member of Parliament Fong Kui Lun who wanted to know the action taken by the government regarding the status of the operating permit applications by Uber and Grabcar in the Klang Valley and its plan to resolve the dispute.

Prior to this, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he understands and is concerned about the problems and grievances faced by taxi drivers whose income were said to be affected by the use of Uber and Grabcar services in Malaysia.

Najib said there were many factors which the government needs to consider regarding this matter such as the element of innovation, competition and so on.

In March, a group of taxi drivers in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur strike a protest against GrabCar and Uber services.