A group representing the taxi community has called for the resignation of Loke, saying he is the one to blame for the industry’s decline.
- Protest at Padang Merbok postponed
- Cabbies told to face their own failure
The main purpose of the peaceful gathering by taxi drivers planned for tomorrow at Padang Merbok was to demand the resignation of Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Head of Gabungan Teksi Semalaysia Kamarundin Hussain in a statement, claimed that “the whole of Malaysia knew that Loke was the reason why the issue between cabbies and Grab could not be resolved”.
He added that the ministry’s failure had also opened up taxi drivers to attacks from various quarters, particularly public transport users.
“The explanation by the Prime Minister in a dialogue session with taxi drivers in Langkawi clearly shows that the minister involved (Loke) did not heed what Dr Mahathir repeatedly asked for,” he said, adding that it did not make sense for them to demand for the resignation of Dr Mahathir, instead claiming that the individual who should be blamed was Loke.
Big Blue Capital (M) Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail who is also a representative of taxi drivers in Malaysia previously announced the peaceful gathering, saying it would be attended by some 3,000 taxi drivers from around the country to fight for alleged injustice linked to Grab.
A call was also made for the sacking of Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) CEO Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah for their failure to solve the issue, hence angering taxi drivers.
Commenting further, Kamarundin who is also chairman of the Association for the Transformation of Malaysian Taxi Drivers (Persim) said the association’s involvement in the gathering tomorrow should not be misinterpreted as going against Dr Mahathir or the government.
In the latest development, the taxi driver protest at Padang Merbok on Wednesday (Oct 24) is postponed indefinitely as the organisers have not got approval from the authorities.
Shamsubahrin said police had requested he postpone the protest as he needed to apply for a permit and to submit relevant documents.
“We will abide by the law and the police requirements. Tomorrow’s demonstration will be postponed,” he said in a WhatsApp message Tuesday (Oct 23).
Taxi drivers around the country have increasingly been unhappy about Grab, claiming that the e-hailing service was putting a dent in their earnings.
On Oct 17, a group of disgruntled taxi drivers held a protest in front of the Finance Ministry over the same issue.
A dialogue between Dr Mahathir and disgruntled taxi drivers in Langkawi on Oct 21 turned volatile as some taxi drivers shouted and staged a walkout.
A visibly upset Dr Mahathir offered to resign, saying, “If you don’t want me to be the prime minister, I can resign today, it’s no problem for me”.
Meanwhile, the government and relevant enforcement agencies have been urged to suspend the permit and licence of taxi drivers who take part in illegal gatherings allegedly to demand justice with regard to the issue of e-hailing service Grab.
Malaysian Public Transport Users Association (4PAM) president Ajit Johl in proposing the matter deemed cabbies who organise demonstrations as giving off the impression that they are not willing to reflect upon themselves and improve their service.
He said taxi drivers who were once regarded as ‘small ambassadors’ of the country are instead appearing to act like gangsters and trying to cover-up their own failure to compete in an ever-developing market by pointing fingers at the government.
“Good, let them have gatherings or demonstrations because this will only prove to the rakyat and consumers that this group of people will never wake up and rise from their failure in offering high-quality taxi service.
“Their image is bad right now, as seen by the rakyat, so organising demonstrations or gatherings will only affect their own livelihood.
“The best way is to rise from failure and improve their services so they can regain the trust of public transport users,” he was quoted as telling the New Straits Times.
Commenting further, Ajit said taxi drivers should face facts that choices made by the public today are somewhat driven by technological advancements and the change in business models with regard to the transport industry.
On that note, he deemed that services based on the concept of e-hailing was more transparent in terms of payment, user feedback and safety aspects, hence making it a preferred choice amongst the public.
“Previously, when cabs are needed, they (taxi driver) were selective because they had the upper hand in controlling market patterns, but all that has changed with the emergence of Grab and Uber.
“Since back then, the attitude of a majority of taxi drivers have not changed, they are harsh and rude, this includes the way some of them behaved when attending the discussion session with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad the other day.
“If they can be rude with a father figure of 93-years-old, what more with consumers,” he said.
Related reports:
Oct 22, Call to Scrap Taxis for Good After Cabbies Snub Dr M
Oct 17, No Plan to Scrap MRT Feeder Buses, Replace with Grab