Cabbies wants Uber outlawed

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of taxi drivers have called on the members of parliament to gazette a law to outlaw private taxi service, Uber.
Metered Taxi Drivers Action Group (Badan Bertindak Pemandu Teksi Bermeter - BBPTB) chairman Amran Jan said that such services are illegal and they have poured sand into the rice bowl of legal taxi drivers in the country.
"These 'kereta sapu' services have caused chaos for taxi companies and operators in the country, and could possibly threaten the public transportation system in the country," he said.
Amran said that Uber, which has been operating for the past three years, spawned other similar services, including GrabCar, Easy-Plus and Blacklane.
He claimed that the action body, comprising 25 taxi groups, have written to both the Road Transport Department and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) on the issue, but felt on deaf ears – prompting the group to resort to this.
"We want the parliament to gazette a law against such illegal services," he told reporters outside parliament today.
Earlier he had submitted the 222 copies of the memorandum to Khalid Samad (PAS - Shah Alam), to be distributed to all the Members of Parliament.
BBPTB also held a peaceful demonstration outside parliament building entrance after over 100 taxi drivers marched from Padang Merbok at about 10am.