Weed out rogue cabbies, support the rest
Haresh Says, as published in Malay Mail today. I WAS about seven when I was “forced” to take a taxi for the first time. My late dad’s vehicle had broken down, and I was already late for an event at KL Plaza (now known as Fahrenheit 88). The quickest way to get to Bukit Bintang from my flat in Pekeliling was by hopping into a cab. “Son, just remember three things … do not board a waiting taxi, make sure they charge by the meter and take note of the vehicle registration number,” my dad said. That was in the late 80s, when taxis were mostly black and yellow Opel Gemini, a horse race track in the heart of the city and Rediffusion was the go-to source for latest news. Yet some things remain the same. Taxi drivers continue to park at the side of the roads, hoping for a passenger to come knocking. Some still refuse to use the meter. There is a need to check the vehicle’s registration number as the passport-sized photo glued on the information card in the taxi sometimes does not m...