It is easy to get a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. If you wait at a taxi stop outside a shopping complex, a taxi will appear soon. There is a queue of taxis waiting for passengers at the KL Sentral station.
I understand that the taxi service in Singapore used to be like this many years ago. But not any more now.
Some commuters complained that it is quite difficult to get a taxi during the busy period. You can wait in the taxi stop for a long time without any taxi appearing. The only way to get a taxi is to make a call and pay an additional fee of $2.50 or $4.
Some taxi drivers prefer to wait for a call, rather than pick up a passenger at the taxi stop.
To prevent this bad habit, some commuters have asked for the call fee to be abolished.
I think that the call fee should be allowed, but it should be reduced to $1. This will remove the incentive for the taxi driver to wait for a call.
Basically all the additional charges we have to pay for taxi has escalated to a ridiculous situation. In addition, it is also causing a lot of confusion to tourists. I have many overseas friends who have complained about the confusion they have on taxi surcharges, ERP charges, peak hour charges. I don't blamed them because I get confused too.
ReplyDeleteI think the authorities should look into simplifying these charges i.e. build these into fare structure. I also agreed that some charges should be lower to prevent abuse by taxi drivers. Take for example, the situation with midnight surcharge. I remembered it used to be impossible to get a cab between 10.3o pm to 12 midnight.
Some of these surcharges are killing the business of taxi driver slowly but surely. To call for a cab during peak hour in the city will cost you at least $9 before the journey starts. This certainly puts me off from using the service as taxi fare has become exorbitant.
The ERP gantry at Plaza Singapura. I cannot believe that I have to pay to get out of city.