I agree with Charly Davies that it is very unpleasant to use the taxi service in Kuala Lumpur and despite numerous attempts at correcting the situation. Any improvement, after a short campaign by the relevant department, seems only temporary.

The root of the problems lies in the issuance of thousands of taxi permits to companies which then rent out the taxis to individuals. The maintenance of the taxis would depend on each company's policy while the taxi drivers have no pride nor is it worth their while to keep their vehicles in tiptop condition.

The taxi driver has to fight against time to earn enough to pay for rental and fuel before he is able to earn anything for himself. This accounts for the lack of courtesy and for his being selective in choosing his customers. Our official policies seem to favour a few companies rather than deserving individuals in the issuance of permits.

The level of service provided depends on each taxi driver's driving skill, knowledge of routes, work attitude and so on. The standard of our taxi drivers is no where compared to Singapore or London.

Over there, (especially London) those wanting to be taxi drivers will first need to pass very high standard tests. Over here, even foreigners (obvious from their thick accents and their lack of knowledge of local routes) are known to be driving taxis around.

Of course, the taxi fares of these people are much higher and this should be looked into if we are serious in improving our taxi service.

I know of a tow-truck operator who used to have an old Land Rover truck. It was his one and only service vehicle and he used to be the sole breadwinner for his family. Imagine how careful he was when he drove his vehicle.

Every six months, just before the mandatory Road Transport Department inspection, he would take a few days off to meticulously touch up his vehicle. The old truck actually became better as time passed as each part replaced improved the overall fitness of the vehicle.

He was really upset because despite this, he had to bribe the inspector, but that is another story reflective of our troubled system.

The moral of the story is that if we were to have a higher standard of taxi driver selection and if each of them owned their own vehicle, they would naturally have pride in their job and in giving good service. Any genuine complaint might see them lose their livelihood while any compliment will only encourage them to do better.

I am sure this is a better way compared to the knee-jerk reactions of authorities each time there is a complaint. There is no way we can better taxi service if the drivers themselves have bad attitude, poor training and no job satisfaction.