Always go for metered: The public has been urged to shun taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter.
PETALING JAYA: While many are lamenting the taxi fare increase, some consumers are finding ways to pay less.
Vannesa Tee, 25, is a firm believer in MyTeksi.
She once turned down a cabbie who quoted RM30 for a ride from MidValley Megamall to KL Sentral, about 5km by road.
“I used the app instead and I was charged RM10. Even when I added in a tip, it still worked out cheaper,” she said.
Some take special effort to capitalise on the promo codes found on social media, which offer fare discounts.
Pharmacist Sarah Lim, 25, said she follows the Facebook pages of service providers like MyTeksi to look out for such codes.
“The codes offer discounts of up to RM5 per trip or RM8 off for the second trip of the day.
“If I have the time, I break up a trip into two cab rides to make use of the offer,” she said.
Another regular cab user, secretary R. Alicia, 29, said she refrained from calling a taxi to save the RM2 booking fee typically charged by service providers.
“At places where taxis are frequently found like near my work place, I just hail the cab to save a few ringgit.
“I also try to avoid taking a cab after midnight to escape the midnight surcharge,” she said.
Fomca senior vice-president K. Koris Atan advised consumers to use trains and buses where possible.
“Of course, this is only possible for those travelling in the city,” Koris said.
He also urged the public to discourage bad behaviour from taxi drivers by shunning those who do not use meters, and to always ask for a receipt.
“Since the fare increase is unavoidable, the least these taxi drivers can do is not to overcharge the public,” he said.
