PKR-backed NGO Tuntutan Pemandu Teksi Malaysia (Teksi) has threatened to campaign for Pakatan Rakyat if the government does not fulfil the 15-point demands it has made.

NONE Teksi president Mohd Ridzwan Mohd Daud (right) said today the government should show more concern for the welfare of the taxi drivers.

It should unconditionally grant individual permits to taxi drivers, take action against foreigners driving licensed taxis and have the rental fees waived on Sundays and public holidays.

"I want the government to consider that despite the number of taxi drivers being small, let's say 50,000, a taxi driver carries an average of 20 passengers a day.

"What if these travel ambassadors (the taxi drivers) become ambassadors for Pakatan during the election period?

"Fifty thousand taxi drivers carrying 20 passengers a day can equal to one million (voters a day). Anything can happen in the two-week election campaigning period!" Ridzwan told a press conference at the Ampang PKR parliamentary constituency operations centre after speaking to taxi drivers.

A hundred taxi drivers were estimated to attend the event and applauded when Ridzwan read out the demands.

NONE PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin (wearing tudung) , who was also present, claimed that the taxi drivers’ position is unclear under the current system.

“If they (taxi drivers) are (taxi licensing company’s) employees, they should have sick leave, medical benefit and Employees Provident Fund (EPF), but they don’t.”

“Ironically, if they (taxi drivers) are classified as business owners, they still have to pay a licence fee to the company.”

'Working 17 hours to earn more'

Foong Tai On, who has been a taxi driver for 30 years, said he paid RM1,500 monthly expenses for a Proton Iswara taxi, which includes licence and hire-purchase costs.

“I earn RM1,500 per month and all expenses go to pay for the Iswara,” he told Malaysiakini .

He said he has to drive from 6am until 11pm, 17 hours per day, in order to earn extra income for his family.

NONE Thamotharan, who has been a taxi driver for four years, told Malaysiakini that he has to pay between RM80 to RM100 daily for licence and fuel costs.

However, he only earns RM100 to RM150 per day and still needs to support two children who are studying in private colleges.

“I am 57 now... I have to (take) PTPTN loans for them.”

Ridzwan also said that Teksi is going to distribute “We Want Permit” stickers and sell T-shirts at taxi stations and shopping malls.

“We will wear the T-shirt every Saturday to show our determination until our demands are fulfilled.”

On June 24, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the government planned to issue licences directly to taxi drivers instead of to private companies, as was being done now, to end what he described as "modern slavery".

Najib also announced to a gathering of some 5,000 taxi drivers at a Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia gathering in Bukit Jalil that RM525 worth of tyre subsidy vouchers would be given to 70,000 taxi drivers nationwide.

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