The existing system for taxi drivers was, in the opinion of some, a major factor for the bad service received from many KL taxis. Permits were issued to individuals who often had little interest in running an efficient taxi service. They then leased out the vehicles to the drivers, who claimed that after they paid the lease costs there was little money left for them. In addition, it is self-evident that people will take more pride in a vehicle they own than one they rent or lease.
The low income earned by taxi drivers was a key factor in many of them loading taxi fares and finding other way to rip off passengers. The decision to issue 1,000 individual permits has proved popular and over 12,000 people applied for them. Apparently 10% were set aside for female drivers.
The individuals were also given a grant of RM5,000 to pay to have the Protons converted to natural gas vehicles (NGVs). Sadly, it seems nothing has yet been done to teach the drivers how to get from A to B. It frequently surprises visitors how few taxi drivers carry a map of the city and training seems to be nonexistent. A nominal grant for a GPS system would have been welcome.
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