langkawi magazine
Archives SECTION
400 SMS Complaints Against Cabbies Daily
SMS complaints to the CVLB exceeded 112,600 in the first nine months this year, said Entrepreneur, Development and Co-operatives Development Minister Datuk Khaled Nordin. Nine complaints were from tourists, who accused taxi drivers of harassing and overcharging them. The cabbies were issued compounds.
Roughly 37 per cent of the complaints involved the board's jurisdiction, he told the NST today. The rest concerned the Road Transport Department and the police, and had been forwarded to them. The CVLB, which is under Khaled's Ministry, compounded roughly 11,800 cases. It is investigating 746 cases, and has dismissed 49.
The compounds brought RM59,620 in fines from errant cabbies, while those against bus drivers and operators have brought RM32,830 so far this year. On the perennial problem of overcharging, Khaled said the Ministry is planning to launch a campaign next year to educate consumers on their rights when they board a taxi or a bus.
`This ministry is not only for taxis and buses. It's a ministry for consumers,` he said. Details of the campaign are not yet available. Meanwhile, the ministry is still working on a review of taxi and bus fares in light of rising fuel prices. The increase will be "reasonable", he said, but he declined to give details.
`I hope with the fare increase, the present condition of public transport systems can be improved.`
PUTRAJAYA 25/10/04
