Speaking at a press conference today, PPIM chief Nadzim Johan said that a failure to address the issue of unfair competition between Uber and conventional taxi services could have dire social consequences.

He said he feared that the drastic reduction in the incomes of taxi drivers could make them desperate enough to resort to crime.

“Taxi drivers have been earning so much less since the emergence of Uber cabs,” he said. “When faced with this circumstance, they could even end up robbing or stealing to provide for their families.”

He called for regulation that would ensure a level playing field between Uber and taxi services.

“Taxi drivers are forced to go through processes and follow the rules,” he said. “But because Uber cabs are not regulated, it’s much easier for them to carry on with their business. They are not held accountable for their actions. When something goes wrong, there’s no avenue through which passengers can complain.”

He pointed out that it had been a year since the Public Land Transport Commission promised to resolve the issue.

The Deputy Chairman of the Persatuan Transformasi Pemandu Teksi Malaysia, Kamarudin Mohd Hussain, told the press conference he disagreed that the Uber service should be regulated. It should be banned outright, he said.

“If the government thinks that Uber is such a good idea, then instead of allowing Uber to carry out its illegal service, the government should have its own Uber-like system,” he said.

“We taxi drivers are not against innovation. What we want is for the government to stop ignoring us and to treat us fairly.”