The Land Public Tranport Commission (SPAD) is being dragged to court by about 100 taxi drivers, who are incensed that the federal agency has not taken proactive steps to ban or curtail app-based ridesharing apps like Uber and GrabCar.
The cabbies, members of the Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee which is comprised of 29 taxi associations, are applying for a court order obligating SPAD to gazette a clear guideline and a circular on agreed terms to ban Uber, GrabCar, and app-based limousine service Blacklane. They also claim that all three services undercut traditional taxi services by charging significantly lower fares.
The lawsuit also seeks a permanent injunction barring SPAD from ever legalising the operations of the three ridesharing services, as the cabbies claimed SPAD never authorised Uber, GrabCar, and Blacklane to conduct passenger-ferrying operations in the first place.
The cab drivers also want SPAD to impose a ban on the three app-based services within seven days of a court order in their favour.
Tempers have flared within the taxi cab industry as ridesharing apps have soared in popularity, with cabbies becoming increasingly frustrated with the stiff competition they face from unregulated Uber and GrabCar drivers, while they have to contend with numerous regulatory requirements and operational costs.
“We have to support our families. We work for 16 hours but only get between RM150 and RM160. We have to pay for car rent, petrol, maintenance and to the respective companies,” ad hoc committee chairperson Zailani Isa Usuluddin told The Star Online‘s M Mageswari.
“How to survive with the balance of RM30 after all those deductions?”
