WHEN the quoted fare for a 5km ride to his home at Taman United in Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, from Mid Valley Megamall using the ehail service was a whopping RM28, K. Malar decided to take a regular taxi with counter.
The metered fare she had to pay was around RM13.
“I was so grateful to have tipped the RM2 driver.
“The next time the ehailing fares are high again, I will surely take a regular taxi,” Malar added.
Similarly, when Karen Tan booked a ride via email from Pearl Suria Mall to her home in Happy Garden, Kuala Lumpur, which was only a three-minute drive away, she was shocked that the quoted fare or 9 RM.
“It’s an RM5 trip at most and yet the cost was almost double.
“If I hadn’t been carrying groceries, I would have walked home,” she said.
Many taxi users, who had stopped taking metered taxis due to a bad experience, are opting for the latter again, as it is the cheapest option.
Gabungan Teksi Chairman, Kereta Sewa, Limosin dan Teksi Lapangan Terbang SeMalaysia (GTSM), Kamarudin Mohd Hussain, said the number of people opting for regular taxis increased after the borders reopened in April.
“It’s not just during rush hour.
“People take taxis more frequently these days and at all hours.
“My advice to people is to choose taxis that wait in malls, transport hubs and light rail stations for first and last mile connectivity.
“These are real taxi drivers who are there to earn a living. They will use the meter and not overcharge,” he said.
Kamarudin suggested passengers who used taxis regularly to write down the contact number of a taxi driver so that they could book them when needed and it would be more affordable.
He said courier companies used to offer promo codes and discounts to drivers and passengers, making the service more popular.
“If a taxi driver refuses to use the meter, do not use his service.
“You have a choice but don’t see us all in a bad light because of a bad experience,” he added.
The Star recently reported that representatives from the Ministry of Transport and the Public Land Transport Agency (Apad) met with telephone call operators to discuss soaring telephone call rates.
The imbalance between supply and demand has led to a decline in the quality of courier service.
Some courier companies have also seen a 30% drop in the number of registered drivers compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, some 20,000 taxi drivers operate in Kuala Lumpur.
Most tend to wait for passengers at transit hubs such as KL Sentral and LRT stations.
Taxi fares are government controlled and metered, while public transport fares are determined by the supply-demand factor.
Comments are closed.