Monday, August 14, 2006

Before and After 1 August 2006, still cost me RM 20.00





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.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Coming Up : Hyenas gathers ... fangs showing ....

Stay tune for a next posting on the latest UMNO morons who want to re-write history ....

Public Transport Thugs 2 : State Administration 0 : Penangites : Total Lost

I was flipping thru theSun print copy when I had my breakfast this morning and I noticed the headline on page 6 "Teng has given up on errant cabbies".

Aiya !!! Datuk Dr Teng, how come so fast you surrender ha ? your party members were supportive of you and took the initiative to attend to Parti Gerakan's meeting at CityBayview Hotel by taxis on Sunday, although most knew that those are act of 'bodeks' ;)


You failed to fix the bus system, and now you also failed to fix the taxi system, and Penang continue to be blackmailed by these 'thugs' ?


So what is left to Penangites who supported you in the past elections ?

Meanwhile, I tried to search for the same article on theSun's website so that I don't have to type them out, however I see no trace of it, instead another article occupied the same space.



theSun online



The missing piece on theSun print copy

Is there an attempt from someone to blackout this piece of news ? Only theSun can tell ..

Anyway, here is the 'missing' article :-

Teng has given up on errant cabbies


Page 6, print copy of The Sun, Thursday, August 10, 2006

Penang - State local government, traffic management committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan is "washing his hands off" the issue of taxi drivers refusing to use the meter.

Teng, contacted by theSun yesterday for comment on the blatant refusal of Penang's cabbies to use the meter, would only refer to the matter to the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) and the Road Transport Department (RTD).

"The state government has done all the necessary groundwork, and it is up to the CVLB and RTD to do the rest.

"There is nothing we can do except to let the respective authorities carry out enforcement against the errant taxi drivers.

"Since the CVLB chairman (Markiman Kobiran) has announced the deployment of undercover CVLB, RTD and police officers to nab them, it is now in their hands," Teng said.

Teng, who has been on the receiving end of swears and curses from both taxi drivers and the public alike, has obviously given up on taxi drivers whom he has been trying to convince for years to use the meter.

The 1,000-odd cabbies were supposed to use the meter from Aug 1 but despite turning up in large numbers on that day for the official "launching" ceremony by Teng, they have reneged on their promise


Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Messups x 1 : Penang "Malfunctioned" Bus System





We have read in the numerous papers that Penang state executive councilor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan ( whom is rumoured to be the next Penang Chief Minister if the Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon gets 'elevated' to the cabinet after he takes over the from Datuk Sri Lim Keng Yik as the President of Parti Gerkan Rakyat Malaysia) openly admitted to his failure to fix the Penang public bus system.

Couple that with the refusal by The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry on a request by the Penang government to have "full authority" over the inefficient public bus service in the state, your chance of striking 1st price in 4D is higher than seeing the Penang bus service gets improved.


It is nearing a month since the the last piece of news on the bus system revamp was published on the website. Pretty darn sure that a gag orders had been issued to the press to 'silenced off' the criticisms from affected quaters, even The Star also 'cooled down', with hope that the public will 'forget' that the problem ever existed and live happily ever after.


Not anymore this time round, vowed a group of Penangites that had suffered for the past decade.


I received this invitation by Ong BK, who is a famous NGO fighter in his own right.



Halo friends,
Protest against Penang 's non-functioning bus system


There has been enough of talk to give the non-functioning bus operators some more chances –yet it is clear to all bus users & Penangites that there is no use flogging a dead horse! A system change is needed –a real reform for our dying public transport system. Nothing less –let's send this message out loud and clear at this Friday's protest , 11-8-06 12.00noon, at Penang Rd, below KOMTAR, at Pedestrian crossing. Enq.013-5900339! See you there !


All welcome ! Please forward to more friends !


Yours sincerely,
Ong BK
Coalition for Public Transport Reform (CPT-R)