KUALA LUMPUR: More than 100 taxi drivers demonstrated outside the KLCC here today, complaining of unfair and even violent treatment by Awana Sutera Sdn Bhd, the company that manages taxi services in the area.
They allege that the company hires gangsters to intimidate taxi drivers who pick up passengers in the area without registering with it.
Registration with Awana Sutera costs RM150. In addition, taxi drivers have to pay the company a monthly fee of RM50.
Last Jan 5, a man hired by Awana Sutera beat up cabbie Mohammed Khalid Razid after he picked up a passenger, according to M Manickam, chairman of the Federal Territory and Selangor Taxi Drivers Welfare Association.
Mohammed received 12 stitches in his head and lodged a police report, but so far police had not acted on the report, Manickam said.
Another taxi driver, Ram Bahadur Gharti, received a similar treatment late last year from Awan Sutera, he added.
This was the second such demonstration since last October, after the management of Suria KLCC signed a seven-year concession agreement with Awana Sutera and the latter started imposing the registration and monthly fees.
The company also imposes a RM2 charge for each passenger.
Manickam said the cabbies decided to stage the protest today after the director of the Development of Public Transport Licensing (LPKP), Halimah Mohammad Sadique, cancelled a scheduled meeting with them about their complaints..
He said LPKP had explained earlier that KLCC is private land and the drivers had to pay the company before entering it.
“But my question is how come the company can engage LPKP and JPJ (the Road Transport Department) to chase us away and issue summonses even when we wait outside the area?”
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