Malaysia Taxi: Worst In The World

Malaysian taxi service branded as the worse in the world does not come as a surprise. It was reported in AFP News that we have the worst taxi service.

The ads promoting "Malaysia: Truly Asia" aim to welcome visitors with a warm smile to a prosperous and modern nation, so the taxi fleet branded "the worst in the world" can come as a bit of a shock.

Even the locals are not spared the shabby service of unkempt and hostile drivers behind the wheels of decrepit vehicles who refuse to use the meter, overcharge and pick-and-choose which destinations they will travel to.

That was the first line in the reported news. And below are the linse picked up from the same news report.

• "Flat rate, flat rate, no metre," one driver insists as the tourists try to find a cab to take them to their hotel, less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) away.

• Anxious to escape the baking heat, they agree to pay 25 ringgit (7.22 dollars) for a trip that would have cost less than three ringgit on the meter.

• "I paid a whopping 260 ringgit (74 dollars) from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to town and was later told that was twice the proper amount."

• In a survey by the local magazine The Expat, some 200 foreigners from 30 countries rated Malaysia the worst among 23 countries in terms of taxi quality, courtesy, availability and expertise.

• The respondents lashed the fleet as "a source of national shame" and "a serious threat to tourists -- rude bullies and extortionists".
• "The vehicles are in shabby condition, the driver will take you if he likes your face -- that is, if he agrees with where you want to go for the price he insists on."
• "Taxi operators and the company which hold the licences are all linked to some politician or another," he said. "Drivers here are ruthless because they are unchecked by authorities who are almost non-existent."

Conclusion: The standard of taxi service in Malaysia has been a nagging problem. There seems to be no improvement in all aspects of this public service. I think the relevant authority should come down hard and harsh on them because their service is among the front liner to tourist. Minister and Directors in Malaysia do not ride the taxi. So they do not know the real problem faces by the man on the streets when it comes to taxi service.