KL taxi drivers top list of worst drivers in 10 cities

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3, 2015:

Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers received international recognition when they came on top of the “10 Countries with the Worst Drivers” list. defeating others in Rome, Bangkok, Paris, New York, Mumbai, Zurich, Cairo, Shanghai and Moscow.

The list, which was posted on LondonCabs.co.uk website, described the KL cabbies as “well known for overcharging clients and detouring”.

“Even though they are supposed to charge by the meter, many drivers refuse to do so.

“The best advice is to simply wait for another vehicle if the driver resists using the taximeter.

“Cars in Kuala Lumpur can often be rather old and in poor condition,” read the description on the website on KL taxi drivers.

The LondonCabs.co.uk is a comparison site for London cabs, both minicabs and taxis.

According to the website, the founders have over 20 years of experience in online marketing and are now collecting data to build a complete transport-related comparison site.

However, the website did not include the statistics or surveys they did in producing the list.

At second place was Rome. The website described the taxi drivers there as “often rude and difficult to deal with”.

The KL cabbies issue has been going on for many years, with the public often voicing  unhappiness over the service received. Drivers often refuse to charge their customers according to the meter or refuse to go to the destination wanted, giving various excuses.

Recently, about 300 local cabbies pledged to turn off taxi booking app MyTeksi and refused to provide services for one week to show their dissent against private car booking services like Uber and GrabCar.

They demanded that the transport-hire mobile applications be suspended immediately as they affected their income.

Users have claimed that Uber, which utilises private cars for hire, and GrabCar provided cheaper and more efficient services.

The taxi drivers said these private cab companies went against various rules set by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) as their drivers are not required to undergo health screenings or obtain a public driver’s licence.