....this is according to a survey by The Expat magazine.
The magazine obtained views from 200 readers, comprising expatriates from 30 countries.
The results showed that our taxis scored the lowest in almost every category polled.
Some of the respondents even described our cabbies "a national disgrace", "a source of national shame" and "a serious threat to tourists - rude bullies and extortionists".
The most frequent complaint was of overcharging and taxi drivers refusing to take passengers who did not agree to pay a flat rate much higher than the regular fare.
(source: NST online)
The report HERE.
36 comments:
Salam Puan Nuraina,
Not surprising, I guess. The point we need to take note here is that this poor service has been known for a long, long time. What has the government done all this while?
And what have we, the general consumers, done to make sure the service improves? Have we exerted enough pressure on our government to do something? I guess not... because our acceptance level for taxi service standards is not really that high. We Malaysians can tolerate a fair bit.
Traditionally, the "best" Taxi drivers and their specially made Cab are the London Taxi.
Taxi drivers MUST pass the "Knowledge" ie. must know almost all the roads in London Metropolitan by riding on Moppets day and day out.
Finally, the take the Test conducted by the London Metropolitan Police.
Imagine being first time coming to London [1960s] as students and 4 multi-racial Malayans sharing a Cab from Heathrow to Marble Arch and the Taxi simply took pains to explain the fares to us.
Upon arriving at Malaysia Hall, he even helped us with the baggage and showed the metre price plus the extra charges for the baggage.
Good first impression.
If you have sat in a taxi in S'pore, then you will know what M'sian taxis should aspire to.
Until we know the answers to who holds the monopoly over taxi licences (remember Nazri and 12,000permits awarded to ?)and who holds the taxi monopoly for KLIA (rumours are, certain little ones linked to a pharoah) expect no changes.
A system that is rotten at the top can only perpertuate a system that is rotten below!
dont lah attack my taxi friends. they need Love too. but they need $$$ more, thanks to an uncaring govt that doesnt know how to control anything...
sigh. taxi zimbabwe lagi bagus.
salam.
actually, they are not only rude or bullying foreigners. malaysian are also their target in charging extra fees and also refusing to use the meter.
BintangWalk is a major tourist attraction. Tried taking a taxi from across the Pavillion? Major mafia there! Not only do they demand exorbitant fees, each time they will tell you take it or leave. Thugs they are. What a bad image it must leave for the expats. I'm local and even with a high level of tolerance of 'rubbish' I'm left disgusted. Shame on us. Tourism ministry should seriously do something. Where's Ms Azalina ....
If you ask the PM he will say it's only a "perception".
semua ini berlaku kerana lpkp tidak jujur diatas kerja mereka.ada cadangan 5bulan dulu yg baik iaitu teksi tambang murah sekitar bandar tanpa mengunakan wang tunai hanya gunakan kad touch n go atau prepaid card n mengunakan kenderaan nasional ngv.tambang tak lebih rm6 walaupun jalan sesak.di tolak tanpa memanggil temuduga..pada padangan n pengalaman saya,tak mungkin pengangkutan awam bole selesai melalui lpkp...semuanya kroni aje yg dapat kalu tak percaya pergi siasat...byk permit da kuar tapi tak da bus beroperasi..n permit kuar tak ikut merit yg diwartakan hanya.....photocopy orang lain punya kertas kerja. n dapat permit..kemudian sewakan permit...dapat duit atas angin tanpa peduli susah org lain.
fm ;pengusaha perkhidmatan awam tambang murah yg sebenar.
Dear Nuraina, no offence meant but sometimes I wonder why folks would bother to read your blog. You just repeat what has been reported elsewhere and usually from the MSMs or Malaysiakini. In case you do not realise, we folks have easy access to such news sources. Why do you bother repeating them? There is nary an opinion or take from you. What's the point of your blog?
Look at the big picture. Blame greedy politicians controlling permits and licences. Majority of taxi drivers don't own the vehicles, paying high rentals ali-baba style. What do you expect?
The survey just proved what Malaysians have already known all these years. Any hope for a long term intervention from the authority? Forget it.
Some of the respondents even described our cabbies "a national disgrace", "a source of national shame" and "a serious threat to tourists - rude bullies and extortionists".
Don't we all know that! Except of course the cabinet and in particular the minister who issued the licences to his crony or proxy.
Pity the very few honest taxi drivers who find it hard to make ends meet.
Things will never change because of the corruption and we have finally proved to the world we have become a third world country.
Ha...ha..ha.. Funny but its so AMAZINGLY TRUE...
Hi Aunty Nuraina,
Missed you at lunch yesterday =(
You know, Ive had encounters with both horrible and good cab drivers. While I agree we have really horrible taxis, we also have good ones, who are as honest as the day is bright.
Sad the people interviewed and surveyed didn't get to meet them...
200 je sampling...tak valid nih hehe
Taxi sercives especially in KL? HAAARKKKPTUIIII!!!!!!
Not that bad what??
At least we are better than some African countries....... say some spin doctors.
Yes,taxi drivers are a national disgrace indeed!Couple of months ago I wanted to take a taxi from Bukit Bintang to KL Central and was asked to pay RM60 rate for the journey.The authority should take stern actions against these taxi drivers before they become a national disaster for the tourism industry in the country!
Put the blame on companies of these taxis who don't put serious attention to screen the backgrounds of candidates, proper ethical trainings.
This article is just about the minor skin problems but how about taxi drivers who committed serious offences such as robbing or raping their passengers. Speaking of rape or sexual abuse, we are one the worst when it comes to crimes involving women and taxi drivers cum rapists or molesters shouldn't be excluded.
Badawi since taking office still cannot deal with the taxi issue.
The taxis should be given be given rebate vouchers to buy fuel at discounted prices or allow a raise in taxi fares.
The govt is so so slow to realize that taxis drivers can't survive with the fuel price increase.
WHAT on earth are they doing - simple thing also cannot understand.
Umno/BN govt should resign en masse.
Other problems also need solving but they do not see it!
hi daphne,
my apologies for not being able to join you guys at Madam Lim's. Just shows, doesn't it, that other than Tuesday (Mee Rebus Day), I'm so occupied for the rest of the week.
Anyway....do keep in touch. Thru the blog or email,ok, Daphnne dear?
on the subject of taxis.... as I have oft pointed out (and i think my blogger and non-blogger friends must be so tired of this) -- we can call ourselves progressive and so on...perhaps we are but really, a mark of a really developed country is a good, reliable and efficient public transport system and service and also reliable taxis.
like you, i have met some really nice and honest cabbies. and when they're nice, i am nice back to them. and you know what? I have NOT come across rude taxi drivers or those who attempted to overcharge me. I suppose I make sure when I enter a cab, I put on this "don't you dare f*** me look".
I have, however, come across cabbies who refused to take me to the city during peak hours. That's not being rude but being unprofessional. The first time it happened, I was so incensed, I gave the driv er, a good tongue-lashing. but did he care? Nope. hey, he ruled-lah. he knew that no action would be taken against him. Of course, after that, whenever a cabbie refused to take me to the city, i just felt so helpless -- what to do?
Thank God, that was oh-so-long ago.
I think, like many Malaysians who have travelled and/or lived abroad, I can make comparisons.
We are so so behind in this department. And it so shameful. And oh....i have witnessed taxi drivers harassing or attempting to cheat tourists at KLCC.
The first time I saw, I was about to butt in and give the taxi driver a good whacking when my sister stopped me. We were with kids and she was so afraid of any backlash or violent reaction from the cabbie and his colleagues.
So..i didn't but I did call up the taxidrivers' association and an enforcement agency to complain.
obviously, these cabbies were and still are unafraid. becos, it's business as usual at KLCC for them till this day.
anyway, daphne...thanks for visiting my blog..
Bon Voyage and all the best in your undertakings in Canada! keep in touch.
TJ (@10:20PM),
no offence meant, but i do believe you don't have to read my blog if you think it is of no use or consequence to you.
Really, you shouldn't be wasting your precious time.
but thank you, anyway, for taking the trouble to hit the URL and read the article which I lifted from the NST which quoted the EXPAT magazine survey.
cheers! :D
I travel quite a fair bit around SE Asia...and have to say our taxis (in general and of course there are some good guys) are the worst in this region and maybe in the world. There is a bad rot and we have reached tipping point where bad attitudes are accepted as norm.
Singapore taxi had the same problems in the 70's. What changed them? Strict enforcement...fine them heavily and revoking their licenses...the results,only the best drivers are on the road!
Not even Tun Mahathir the "dictator" manage to discipline the taxi drivers. But Lee Kuan Yew "the great"succeeded in "showing" the taxi drivers how to "cari makan" in an honest and dignified way.
Memang sangat worst!Ever@!**
Puan,
Hidup di Klang Valley ini amat sukar. Sewa teksi sehari RM75. Kontrak sewa pula lebih kurang 7 tahun. Selebihnya barulah keuntungan pemandu. Puncanya tentulah pemberi permit teksi.Inilah realiti kais pagi makan pagi. Pemandu teksi pula berebut penumpang yg tak berapa ramai.
Tetapi, saya perhatikan atitud pemandu teksi di luar Klang Valley pula berbeza. Ramai yg berbudi bahasa & bertimbang rasa. Rasanya sebab Expat ramai di KL, persepsi mereka hanya kpd pemandu teksi di KL.
Hishamuddin
Dear Nuraina,
No offence taken and I trust vice versa. Yes, I won't be reading your blog. Indeed I have other better blogs to read and other better things to do.
Cheers :-).
salam,
Puan Nuraina,.....saya lebih suka baca blog anda kalau anda cerita tentang Bapak daily life atau cerita2 lama Bapak.Dia tu negarawan, we want to know more about him.Kalau tak anda siapa lagi nak cerita, make it macam biography la....blog ni tajuknya bersama Bapak, bukan bersama reporter or politician kan? Toksah citer banyak pasal politik ni...boring.( saya tau la anda reporter, tapi utamakan cerita Bapak o.k...I pesonally like to read....
anak ayah dan mak
Dear Ana.
was having coffe with my old friend and I belief your friend too,Dato Johan Jaafar.We surf your web site.
I was suprise He said to me you look sexy with your pic.He said you still single and available.
Ha Ha Ha.I like your comment today.We need an overhaul in our taxi services.Too many dormant licence holder and they are old people mainly UMNO supporter and Datuk.They live on leasing their licences.
They are some company which own hundres of taxi licences,but they are exploiting the drivers.
I am a part time taxi driver.That is why I know the suffering we are facing.
BTW.I suggest you change your pic at your web.Too sexy la.
yes, yes - i agree.
being a frequent visitor to singapore, i can't help but compare it's public transport system to that in malaysia (specifically kl).
a satellite-based gps to monitor, book and despatch taxis. if it can be done in spore, why not in kl? it's not exactly rocket science, the technology is readily available and there are singaporean companies who can implement the system in kl on a "turn key" basis.
so, why haven't the msian authorities moved on this?
perhaps it's because there are so many ministries and govt bodies involved in the matter of taxis in malaysia.
as reported previously, amidst the hoo-ha of defective express buses and bad bus drivers, there are 13 govt agencies involved in the licensing and supervision of express buses in malaysia.
perhaps it's the same for taxis?
contrast this with spore where there is only 1 govt body - the land transport authority, which comes under the ministry of communications - to handle all matters related to transportation in spore.
a one-stop shop. cannot be more simple, mah!
Kak Nuraina, permisi untuk ngomong dengan si brengsek yang bernama TJ.
TJ,
The problem with you is desire attention but you are not worth noting in the first place. My advise to you is free and is for you to park yourself elsewhere. Try burying you brainless head in the sand, for instance.
Aku bukan blogger matang, tapi paham yang kita tidak perlu membuat ulasan untuk mendapat ulasan.
TJ, if you don't even understand the fundamentals of blogging, please don't waste Kak Nuraina's precious, precious space here.
Good bye. I hope Kak Nuraina does not publish your comments in future but I know she will. Guys like you are pathetic la TJ, perlukan orang lain untuk ihsan.
Salam persaudaraan.
Nuraina & TJ (if TJ is still reading!):
Nuraina, keep up the good work! Unlike TJ, I would like to read more - especially since I have stopped subscribing to my regular newspaper!
Sadly, that's the truth about taxi service in Malaysia. I've been to your place and have bad impressions on the taxis. Most of them are don't want to use the meter and overcharging instead. If you mentioned them to use the meter, they will just ask the passengers to leave the taxi... How rude can that be.. Some will even cheat on their own customer. Use the meter but deviate from the original route before reaching the destination..
I know that not all are like that because some taxis i hired are friendly. I just hoped that the others would be just as friendly as these taxis.
Yup just came back from Bangkok and due to bad experience in taking taxi in KL, i thought taxi in Bangkok is also the same. But it is totally different. You can get taxi every where in Bangkok and they only use meter, so far i had not been cheated in anyway. All passengers are willingly tipping the taxi driver by rounding the fare to the next 10bah. Well i miss the shining colorful TOYOTA Altis taxi from Bangkok. When i touch down at KL Sentral looking at our Taxi..i would in every possibility avoid taking one.
Dear Nuraina, i said something in my www.buginvilla.blogspot.com regarding the taxi service and solution.
Dear Nuraina, the major problem in taxi service are using meter. So it meant transaction is not done for the first place. We have to see the problem on using meter among taxi driver. That the solution. Why?? Can we talk about that later..
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