By Xavier Kong
Tiger realises that change can be tough to take, especially when the change is disruptive. However, progress will happen, just as entropy happens, and those who stand in the way of progress tend to get run over.
Oh, what is this? Does this Tiger detect some sense coming from someone in the government at long last? So it seems! Finally, someone in government who does not say the darndest thing!
For some context, Tiger is referring to Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, who also happens to be the chairman of the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC). The MaGIC chairman urged taxi operators to cooperate with alternative taxi services like Uber to provide high-quality services to passengers in major cities nationwide.
Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah
“Otherwise, they have to find ways to provide better service to compete with Uber and other alternative taxi companies,” said Irwan Serigar, adding that the existence of an alternative taxi service should not be a problem for existing taxi operators, “because users will choose them if they provide better service at reasonable fares”.
Well, here’s another heavyweight who has thrown his weight behind ridesharing, and has addressed the matter of change. That the people want change in their public transport system cannot be dismissed any longer, as evidenced by the results of the poll by the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad), which showed that a majority of citizens would rather take a ridesharing service over a taxi.
There are taxi drivers who had put the blame of this matter on Spad, saying that this occurred due to a lack of proper enforcement by the commission, and continued to press the point that ridesharing vehicles are uninsured and unsafe.
Honestly, Tiger thinks that they are flogging a dead horse, and remain in the river in Egypt regarding their own attitude to the matter. Again, Tiger stresses that not all taxi drivers are bad or attempting to overcharge with that bad attitude that works well on Max in ‘Fury Road’ but not on them.
However, the fact remains that the issue lies in those giving taxi drivers a bad name. Why not rally together to oust those bad apples from the ranks of taxi drivers, and take a step towards clearing the name of Malaysian taxi drivers?
At the same time, Tiger would like to bring up the point that the Malaysian taxi system practices patronage, and through the emergence of Uber and GrabCar as disruptive change initiators, it has become exceedingly clear to this Tiger that the protection of patronage and progress do not mix.
Why do taxi drivers not look at those from whom they rent their permits? Those are the people who they have to pay a hefty sum to every month, which is one of the main things cutting into their revenues. Now that there is competition in the form of ridesharing, why are they not aiding those who rent permits from them?
Lowering the fee to allow the taxi driver to repair his vehicle or cover his fuel costs would definitely help to ease some of their burdens. What these permit holders are doing to taxi drivers with their high rent is akin to them killing the golden goose, in this Tiger’s view.
What would happen to these permit holders should taxi drivers decide that they would get a fairer deal out of Uber and GrabCar? Who would then pay the exorbitant rent? Would they be the next group to deride progress to protect their idea of patronage? This rabbit hole goes down some dark and dangerous roads, and Tiger does not know when this will end.
However, to be fair, taxi drivers are having to work long hours to survive now, and the fact of the matter remains that the survey is not exactly all inclusive. At the same time, Spad has to also answer for not being able to fulfil its charter of enforcing regulations in an efficient manner regarding those taxi mafiosos that give Malaysian taxi drivers a bad name.
How is it, Tiger questions, that an enforcement agency cannot do its job, especially if it can call on the aid of the good taxi drivers out there, as well as the police? Could it be that they are not doing their job? Might there not be enough trust between the drivers, Spad, and the police to be able to work together to oust the mafiosos?
Of course, there is also the matter of the hike in taxi fares a while back. It brought an uproar to those who take taxis, but it remains that few have tried to see things from the perspective of the taxi driver.
Come now, we are all Malaysians. Surely there can be a peaceful conclusion to this entire matter? Tiger definitely hopes so. Until then, Tiger will continue to watch this issue with crossed paws and bated breath, waiting and hoping for a peaceful resolution, and the ousting of taxi mafiosos by a united front.
GRRRRR!!!
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