MALACCA, Oct 9 – Taxi operators in the country were yesterday told to improve on their service if they are to compete with the e-hailing service such as Uber, Grabcar and Blacklane. Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said a study conducted recently found that the public wanted a taxi service which could offer friendly, fast and efficient service, as well as reasonable fare rate.

“Therefore, taxi operators should change and provide better service to consumers instead of continuing to be angry and blame the government and SPAD, and to bring the matter to court. I am aware that the presence of the taxi service by Uber, Grabcar and Blacklane has created various criticisms against the government and SPAD, but they are not SPAD products,” he told reporters after closing Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Malacca’s (UTeM) Environmental Week here Saturday.

Syed Hamid said the presence of the Uber, Grabcar and Blacklane ehailing service was in tandem with the progress in technology. As such, he said, it was important for taxi operators in the country to accept the change and the healthy competition from ehailing service. The government, he said, would continue to provide assistance for taxi operators. — Bernama