The spat between taxi drivers and services like Uber and GrabCar sounds very similar like siblings who fight because they are jealous of each other.
Let me explain a little bit by what I mean. Although I drive a car, almost half of the time, I like to take public transportation. And this includes taxis.
I used to call those phone numbers where you can book a taxi to come pick you up wherever you are. They will usually call you back once they find a driver that can pick you up.
It works - maybe 30 percent of the time. The majority of the time, they either don’t call you back or when they do, it’s just to tell you that there are no drivers in your vicinity.
Then MyTeksi came about. I tried downloading the app on my smartphone and it immediately became my go to service whenever I needed a taxi.
The response time is immediate and the app even shows you all the drivers in your vicinity. You can also directly contact the driver and you get to track how far he is from you.
I totally ditched those phone numbers that I used to call for taxis. You see, as a consumer, I chose the most convenient and reliable service to use.
And then after about a year of using MyTeksi for all my taxi needs, Uber started making an appearance in Malaysia. I resisted at first because I was comfortable with MyTeksi.
But after a trip to the United States, where I had the opportunity to try out Uber, I decided to make the switch now that I’m back in Malaysia.
There are reasons why I choose Uber over MyTeksi. Among them are that the drivers are more polite, the cars are cleaner and more comfortable, the rates are cheaper, and you don’t need cash.
Let me remind you again that for me, as a consumer, I choose the most convenient and reliable service to use. That is of the main concern, not just for me, but for many others.
So for taxi drivers to protest over newer services like Uber and GrabCar (I haven’t tried it yet), it just reminds me of a spoilt only child crying because he now has a new baby brother.
Instead of crying to the authorities to ban Uber and GrabCar, maybe it would be a much better idea for taxi drivers to take a step back and look at themselves.
Think about it. Even the authorities aren’t sure what they can do about it.
SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar was reported to have ‘acknowledged that Uber and GrabCar are legal as service-matching businesses, but the manner they operate is not’.
My suggestion for taxi drivers is to quit complaining and start improving their services. Beat the competition. That is how you win in business.
It only takes a bit of healthy competition to improve things across the board. And always keep in mind the needs of the consumers.
Zan Azlee
Thu Jul 02 2015
Astro AWANI's Zan Azlee explains why, as a consumer, he would pick the service that is most convenient and comfortable when it comes to taxies.
Lapan mangsa tragedi selamat dikebumikan
Kesedihan ahli keluarga dan waris mengiringi perjalanan terakhir mangsa tragedi helikopter terhempas di Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Lumut, Perak di beberapa lokasi pengebumian di seluruh negara pada malam Rabu.
Nahas helikopter: JKM Perak beri bantuan kaunseling kepada keluarga mangsa
Salbiah berkata pihak JKM telah melawat tiga keluarga mangsa dari Perak iaitu di Selama, Lekir dan Sitiawan.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Misi melalui perairan antarabangsa, bukan Israel
Peguam, Huwaida Arraf memaklumkan misi ini akan melalui perairan antarabangsa sebelum memasuki kawasan perairan Palestin.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Cucu Nelson Mandela antara peserta misi bantuan
Penyertaannya dalam misi ini bagi sama-sama menyokong misi memecah sekatan rejim Israel bagi membolehkan penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza.
Lapan mangsa tragedi helikopter TLDM terhempas selamat dikebumi
Tiada kata-kata yang dapat menggambarkan kesedihan ahli keluarga dan waris yang mengiringi perjalanan terakhir mangsa.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Nahas helikopter Lumut: Lapan mangsa selamat dikebumi
Suasana sedih dan pilu menyelubungi majlis pengebumian lapan daripada 10 jenazah mangsa nahas berkenaan.
Nahas helikopter: Pulau Pinang sedia bantu keluarga Muhammad Firdaus
Chow tidak memperinci bentuk bantuan yang bakal disalur namun memberitahu akan melawat keluarga Allahyarham di Pantai Jerejak hari ini.
Hujan sambut ketibaan jasad Joanna di kampung halaman
Jasad mendiang yang tiba dalam suasana rintis syahdu hujan disambut dengan istiadat ketenteraan oleh 27 pegawai dan 80 lain-lain anggota.
Amalan pemakanan tidak sihat, kurang aktiviti fizikal punca utama obesiti - Dr Dzulkefly
Amalan pemakanan yang tidak sihat dan kurang aktiviti fizikal merupakan komponen utama yang menyumbang kepada masalah obesiti, kata Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Tangisan anak bongsu iringi pengebumian Komander Amir
Jenazah Allahyarham selamat dikebumikan di kampung halamannya itu tepat pada jam 12.30 malam.
Cadangan denda Grab RM86.77 juta: MyCC mohon kebenaran rayu keputusan mahkamah
MyCC telah memfailkan permohonan bagi mendapatkan kebenaran merayu keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan membenarkan Grab dan dua anak syarikatnya memulakan semakan kehakiman.
PKP 2.0: GrabFood beroperasi 7 pagi hingga 8 malam
Grab akan menjamin gaji pemandu e-hailing diteruskan, meskipun permintaan bakal menurun pada tempoh PKP.
Digitalisasi ekonomi ruang baharu PKS
Sebagai sebuah platform dalam talian dan penggerak teknologi di negara ini, Grab Malaysia terus menjadi medium membantu mereka yang kehilangan punca pendapatan akibat pandemik itu.
Inisiatif baharu Grab fokus bantu perniagaan kecil pada bulan Ramadan
Grab menyenarai masuk lima buah pasar raya di sekitar Selangor ke dalam perkhidmatan Pasar by GrabMart yang akan beroperasi pada 24 April.
Perkhidmatan penghantaran bantu pengusaha restoran, orang ramai
Permintaan tinggi terhadap perkhidmatan penghantaran makanan telah membantu perniagaan restoran berjalan lancar walaupun negara kini dalam Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan.
MyCC cadang Grab didenda RM86 juta akibat menindas
MyCC bercadang untuk mengenakan denda berjumlah RM86,772,943.76 terhadap Grab serta penalti kewangan harian sebanyak RM15,000 sehari
Isu ramai pemandu e-hailing gagal lesen PSV akan dijawab menteri
Persatuan Pemandu Grab Malaysia (GDMA) bingung apabila dimaklumkan kadar kegagalan lulus peperiksaan Lesen Vokasional (PSV-Teksi/E-hailing) sangat tinggi.
Ternampak mereka? Dua gadis pelajar SMK Assunta hilang sejak Ahad
Dua gadis remaja Natshatra Navanita, 15 tahun dan Divyaa Munian, 16 tahun hilang sejak Ahad lepas pada 11.40 malam.
Dua warga Myanmar ditahan bantu kes bunuh pemandu Grab
Polis telah mengenal pasti identiti penumpang terakhir yang diambil mangsa dipercayai menggunakan perkhidmatan e-hailing GrabCar daripada pihak pengurusan perkhidmatan itu.
Toyota labur USD1 bilion dalam Grab
Toyota telah membuat penilaian terhadap Grab dan meletakkan nilainya pada jumlah USD10 bilion.