Training Taxi Drivers Is It Really Necessary

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EFFECTIVE training for taxi drivers leads to better performance, and this applies to amateurs, professionals and seasoned players.
However, it must be prioritised as funds are limited. If so, what is the rationale for allocating RM10 mil in Budget 2026 for HRD Corp to cover training courses and allowances for licensed taxi drivers?
Are those involved in such an allocation still stuck with legacy issues of the past by regarding taxi drivers as a force to be reckoned with? It was certainly true during the early days after independence in 1957 and formation of Malaysia in 1963.

In the 1960s and 1970s, stage bus services were few and irregular. For example, many people travelled to Klang from Pandamaran where I grew up, and then to Kuala Lumpur, either by licensed or pirate taxis.
A maximum of four passengers shared the ride, with each paying a fixed amount not much higher than the bus fare..
With possibly up to five strangers in the car and with no smartphones to scroll or material to read, the occupants would start chatting.
Naturally, the taxi driver took the lead on most topics, having listened to many other passengers in the course of his work and eager to share stories or voice his opinions like a Mr Know-All.
Therefore, taxi drivers had a strong influence on their passengers, especially those who were semi literate or ignorant.
But they had no bearing on me, as I kept abreast with the latest news daily, initially listening to the radio starting in 1963 when I was 13-years-old, and later from television and reading one or more newspapers.

When I was a tourist guide in the early 1970s, almost all the taxis plying on the main trunk road from Penang to Singapore were Mercedes Benz diesel saloons, which was the most popular public transport to travel to outstation. It was only later that express buses became more popular after they were air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned taxis were introduced in Kuala Lumpur in the mid-1970s but were not popular initially because of higher fares.
It was only after 1980 when most new cars were factory-fitted with air-conditioners. After the first recession in 1985-1986, the economy, income and car ownership boomed for a decade from 1988 until the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, with its full impact felt in 1998.
From 2000 to 2003, I drove premier taxis (HB 4400/HWB 3888), and from 2004 to 2010 a budget taxi (HWB 9770).
In 2007, I made a presentation at the then National Productivity Centre on “Taxi Issues and Challenges” and volunteered to attend a course for taxi drivers.
I only realised it was mostly meant to rehabilitate errant taxi drivers after a participant asked me where I was caught? Attendees were compensated with a RM50 allowance.
Later, I also attended an English course for taxi drivers at Wisma MCA at Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur to observe and learn how well the course was conducted.
In 2011, I gave a briefing on the taxi industry in Malaysia to a group of international students at Tan Chong Headquarters.

I was recalled to give another briefing, as they were determined to ensure success for their project, which emerged runner-up in the 2011 Harvard Business School New Venture Competition.
In the group were Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, later known as the co-founders of Grab. Then, Anthony disclosed to me that he was working with Maxis to develop a taxi app.
MyTeksi was launched in 2012 and Anthony went to the ground to persuade taxi drivers, including those operating radio cabs.
He captured the market for e-hailing taxis but MyTeksi was obliterated by Uber in 2014 using private cars that were much cheaper.
However, it was a blessing in disguise. Anthony took the bull by its horns, added private cars to its offering, and Uber eventually retreated not only from Malaysia but the whole of Southeast Asia in 2018.

Meanwhile, most taxi drivers switched to e-hailing using private cars without having to rent a taxi permit from companies or individuals.
Today, most taxi drivers are old or find using an app too challenging, and prefer to wait indefinitely at shopping malls and train stations for passengers, eking a living or for pocket money. 
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia

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