ONLY 15 TAXIS IN KLANG VALLEY OFFENCE-FREE

PUTRAJAYA, March 30 (Bernama) -- Only 15 of the 627 taxis detected by the
Road Transport Department in the Klang Valley in an operation conducted from
March 16 to 29 are free of any offence.

Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs,
and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor.

RTD enforcement director Salim Parlan said a total of 1,428 offences were
recorded on the remaining 612 taxis, including for not using the meters (432
cases), refusing to take passengers (103), over-charging (144) and drivers not
displaying their driver's card (192).

We also recorded 502 cases, like for not wearing the safety belts,
dangerous driving, drivers not possessing the Public Service Vehicle (PSV)
permit and taxis on the road with expired road tax, he told reporters at a joint
press conference with Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board chairman Markiman
Kobiran here Monday.

Salim said during the operation, enforcement officers also detected four
Pakistani who were driving the taxis illegally.

He said notices would be issued to the owners of the affected taxis and a
report on the operation would be submitted to CVLB for further action.
Meanwhile Markiman said CVLB would take stern action against the affected
taxi drivers and owners.

He said that last year, 4,083 compound notices were issued to taxi drivers
and owners, while 164 taxi permits were suspended and 79 others were revoked.

As of February this year, 243 taxis had been compounded, 57 permits were
suspended and six permits were revoked, he added.

Markiman also said CVLB was looking into various ways to improve the taxi
service in the city and Petaling Jaya, including use of taxi coupons, like at
the Kuala Lumpur Tower, Puduraya, Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and Sunway
Pyramid in Petaling Jaya.

-- BERNAMA