SPAD hints at taxi fare increase

KUALA LUMPUR: The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is reviewing taxi fares and has indicated a possible increase in the near future.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said SPAD was studying the costs incurred by taxi drivers.

“I understand that SPAD is currently reviewing the taxi fares, taking into account the operational costs (of taxi drivers),” he said to the loud cheers of over 500 cabbies at the SPAD headquarters in KL Sentral here yesterday.

SPAD, he added, was also looking into an “accreditation programme” which would become a future requirement for cabbies to enable better taxi services.

Najib said this in his speech before presenting 500 Taxi 1Malaysia (Teks1m) individual licences to the cabbies. They were part of a group of 1,000 drivers chosen out of 19,117 Teks1m applicants earlier this year.

Later at a press conference, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the fare review was almost at its final stage although he declined to comment on what kind of increase would be involved.

Najib: Taxi fares being reviewed

Najib posing with several taxi drivers after presenting 500 Taxi 1Malaysia (Teks1m) individual licences to the cabbies. With him is Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (third from right).

KUALA LUMPUR: Taxi fares are currently being reviewed and may see an increase in the near future.

This was revealed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) was studying costs incurred by taxi drivers.

"I understand that SPAD is currently reviewing the taxi fares, taking into account operational costs (of taxi drivers)," he said to the loud cheers of over 500 cabbies present.

Najib was at SPAD headquarters at KL Sentral to present 500 Taxi 1Malaysia (Teks1m) individual licences to the cabbies.

In a press conference later, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the fare review was almost at its final stages but he declined to comment on what kind of increase would be involved.

He said, however, that SPAD hoped to present the review before the Government by the end of the year.

SPAD CEO Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal said the commission would also get public feedback on the fare review before it was presented to the Government.

The current flag-off rate for Malaysian taxis is RM3, with RM0.10 charged at every subsequent 100m. The last review change was in 2009.

(Source: The Star Online)