7,500 Proton Exoras to be the nation's new taxi standard by 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 7,500 "elegant brown" Proton Exora taxis will be hitting Malaysia's streets by 2015, replacing all other models as the nation's new taxi standard.
"We expect more to come, but that's the target," Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal told reporters at the Bandar Tasik Selatan Integrated Transport Terminal.
"But this is not to add to the total number now. We are keeping the same number (of taxis) or may even shrink the number. But out of the total, it will be 7,500 Proton Exoras."
He said this after launching the first 50 Exoras under the Teksi 1 Malaysia scheme at the terminal, which picked up their first passengers shortly after.
Mohd Nur said that 200 Exora taxis were expected to be on KL roads by the end of the month.
By 2014's 1st quarter, a total of 1,000 of them will be in KL, Penang and Johor Baru.
Mohd Nur said a total of 286 applications out of 1,000 individual licenses released under the Teksi 1Malaysia scheme had been approved by Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) this year.
He added that SPAD was still thinking about whether to replace all other taxis in the country with the brown Exora, though it would certainly be the case for city taxis.
However, he said that hired cars (or kereta sewa) may or may not be replaced with the Exora.
The Proton Exora 1.6 MPV will take over as the nationwide standard, replacing all other models in an industry that has long since seen at least a dozen different taxi colours and models.
The new taxi will have debit and credit card facilities, and will gradually replace future budget, premier and executive-class taxis.
Fares for the new Exora will start at RM3, except in Penang island where it will start at RM4.
Exora prices will also start from RM61,999 onwards for petrol models and RM64,999 for natural gas vehicle (NGV) models.
There are about 60,368 taxis in Peninsular Malaysia. They are divided into: budget (39,056), premier (170), executive (2,884), airport (2,226) and hired cars (16,012)
THE STAR
