MIRI: The Miri Taxi Association has protested what it calls the ‘gangsterism’ of aggressive pirate taxi drivers scrambling for passengers at the Pujut Bus Terminal.
Alias (fourth left) and members with their placards in front of JPJ Miri office.
Members led by chairman Alias Julaihi handed over a memorandum of complaint to the Road Transport Department (JPJ) here yesterday.
He claimed that association members had been threatened by pirate taxi operators and several police reports had been lodged over the incidents.
According to him, in one incident, a member was slapped and kicked by a pirate taxi driver, who even challenged the victim to report him to the police.
“We want JPJ to take stern action against these pirate taxis at Pujut Terminal as they are aggressively competing with our members to pick up passengers,” he told the media, adding that there are eight pirate taxi operators at the terminal.
“We don’t want JPJ to just monitor these illegal pirate taxis. We want them take stern action against them for causing problems and hardship to licensed taxi operators trying to make a living.
“The competition of taking passengers has been going on for four to five years. The JPJ just said ‘ok, ok’, but did not take stern action. I appeal to the authorities to stop this from becoming worse, or the association would take the matter into our own hands.”
Alias said Miri Taxi Association members would temporarily stop driving passengers to Pujut Terminal or picking them up from there until the authorities resolved the problem.
He pointed out that at the Bintulu Bus Terminal, there is a proper taxi lane to pick up passengers.
“I hope Miri City Council could work out a plan at Pujut Terminal for the convenience of passengers,” he added.