One would think that Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Noh Omar would take lessons from the past to be the best guidance towards a better future but instead the opposite is true.

The latest proposal for taxi drivers to sell drinks and phonecards in their cabs is just a stopgap measure.

Anyway, as far as I can remember, taxi drivers have been doing business on the side for donkey’s years. For example, they would recommend which hotel to stay in, where to eat, which sights to see etc.

In return for these recommendations, these taxi drivers are given commission ranging from between RM2 to RM50.

Seoul once at the bottom of the table in terms of development but today it is number two in the world. Through research, discussions and most importantly a willingness to listen to their citizens, they have come out with the best transport system in the world.

Every taxi is equipped with a video camera. Every conversation is recorded and so every movement from the back to front of the taxi. Even an accident is captured on tape.

Metres are controlled and cannot be tampered with by the drivers. It is compulsory for every driver to clock a minimum of eight hours on the road driving and they cannot refuse to pick up a passenger when the cab light outside is on.

Conversely, taxi without their cab lights on cannot pick up passengers as they already have fares.

Here in Malaysia, a trip from Puduraya to Taman Maluri used to be RM4.60. Now an extra RM2 is demanded.

Two days ago, two taxis -number platse HW 8863 and HW 7064 - demanded from me RM15 for the trip claiming ‘traffic jam’.

But since the opening of the nearby expressway, traffic is less to Taman Maluri and the trip is cut by 15 minutes so RM15 is plain cheating.

With our Malaysian ministers fondness’ for traveling overseas for goodness knows what, it would be appropriate for those concerned to learn something useful from the taxi system in Seoul.