The news
that an executive taxi driver in Kuala Lumpur has been fined RM1,000
for charging RM459.20 for a 4.8km ride is a good start in sending out
the message that the authorities are serious in their efforts to
clean up the public transportation industry. He was charged under
Section 75(1) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010 which provides
for a maximum RM50,000 fine or three years' jail, or both, upon
conviction.
I do wonder why the fine
was just double the fare charged. The 4.8km ride should cost just
RM10 or RM20 at the most taking into inconsideration the traffic
conditions during the journey. I would prefer a higher fine or even a
day's jail as a lesson that what he did is not something to be taken
lightly. We do not know whether this was the only instance of
overcharging or has he escaped conviction previously because
passengers were not bothered to pursue the matter. It is a fact that
quite a number of us could not be bothered to go through the hassle
of reporting the offence and suffering the uncertainty whether our
complaint would even be looked into by the relevant authorities.
When the public is
apathetic in reporting such cases, the authorities can take
pro-active measures to combat the menace of overcharging by taxi
drivers. Undercover operations by enforcement personnel is always a
good method to expose such activities. We do not necessarily have to
mount public campaigns which is often highlighted in the media that
there is an ongoing operations during certain periods to apprehend
these culprits.
The exercise to weed out
the bad hats has to be done continuously and diligently. The momentum
should be maintained so that the taxi drivers will always be on their
toes and follow the rules and regulations set our for them. Then and
only then shall we see some improvement in the attitude and image of
the taxi driver and of course better service for the public.
Image from kereta.info
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