TWO taxi drivers’ groups want a meeting with Transport Minister Anthony Loke within two weeks or they will stage a demonstration in Putrajaya over e-hailing services
Malaysian Taxi Union and Big Blue Taxi Services gave Loke the ultimatum today as they sought resolution to their concerns over ride-sharing fares and commissions.
“We asked for a date within the next two weeks to have a formal discussion with Minister of Transport Anthony Loke, otherwise, we will have an assembly here.” GTSM president Kamarudin Hussain told reporters after a protest followed by a dialogue with ministry officials in Putrajaya today.
He said cabbies want greater equalisation between taxi drivers and e-hailing services even though Putrajaya had in July moved to regulate the latter.
The government is also trying to get more taxi drivers assimilated in e-hailing services.
“We don’t believe taxi drivers who assimilate into e-hailing have still to be bound by their permits, and we ask that the MoT freezes the registration of new drivers in e-hailing companies,” Kamarudin said.
The two groups wished to work with the ministry on the legal framework governing taxi and e-hailing services, he said.
“We believe all ride services, whether , regardless wbeing taxis or regular cars, that be governed by one fair and equal law.”
Big Blue Taxi Services adviser Shamsubahrin Ismail said Loke should not avoid meeting the groups.
He said he emailed the ministry on November 5 but was told that to use the proper channels.
The minister’s political secretary, Dahlan Maamor, said the groups should not resort to threats and that the ministry was not obliged to reschedule Loke’s prior appointments just to accommodate them.
“The ministry is open to meeting them, but they cannot threaten an assembly if a meeting is not set up within two weeks. Especially when they just sent the email three days ago. We are not obliged to change the minister’s schedule, as even now, minister Loke is in Bangkok,” Dahlan said. – November 8, 2018.
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Ask the people around you, how many people still take taxi?
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