Dear Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan,
I am here to inform you that your second attempt to fix another Penang public transport system failed miserably.
You had given up hope on the Penang bus system, a lot of people protested in front of Komtar of your half baked attempt to fix the failed system.
I experienced treatment by the famous Penang public transport 'thugs', and I tried it again last Friday to see weather your 'consultative hard work' paid off or not, unfortunately, it cost me RM20.00 to find the answer.
Taxi Number: HP1529
Time: 2325 Hours, Friday, 11 August 2006
Distance: from Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal to Komtar
Cost: RM 20.00, normal fee would be around 1/2 of what I paid.
Was the meter running: Yes it was ... covered with a wipe cloth.
Note: Before I hope on to the taxi, his colleague alerted him not to take the coastal highway because of road blocks by either Polis or JPJ.
On a casual chat with the eloquent taxi driver, I got to find out the below:
- The taxis at the taxi stop next to Sungai Nibong Bas Terminal is 'different' because they are 'NOT' picking up passengers from the roads
- He can not do business base on the proposed rate because as he claimed he has to drive back to Sungai Nibong Bas Terminal without any passenger
- Taxis owners in Penang have to drive to Seberang Prai if they are to fill LPG in their taxis, provided the taxis are fitted with LPG tanks
So what say you Datuk Dr Teng ? Are you to throw in the towel again ?
Dr Teng: Insist cabbies use the meter
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/8/north/15077145&sec=north
DON’T start haggling with cabbies over fares.
“Insist that they use the meter,” said state Local Government, Traf- fic Management, Information and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan.
“By doing this, the public can do their part in ensuring the smooth implementation of the meter ruling,” he said.
Dr Teng said this when speaking the newsmen after launching the Child Diabetes Awareness campaign at SMK Convent Pulau Tikus in Pe-nang yesterday.
The campaign was organised by the school with the support of Celcom (Malaysia) Bhd.
Dr Teng said that cabbies would receive a good income if they made several trips per day instead of waiting for the whole day for one passenger and ‘slaughtering’ him.
“Some cabbies have installed the meter merely for show,” he said.
“They are still haggling over the fares but if the public remain firm, the cabbies have no choice but to use the meter,” he said.
Dr Teng said the Road Trans- port Department, with the help of the police and Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board, was taking action against cabbies who refused to use the meter.
He said he would ask the police to investigate allegations that some cabbies were preventing others from picking up passengers at certain places.
He said the ‘territorial’ approach was not in the interest of the public.
