LETTER | We, PICKnGO, a taxi-hailing app representing five taxi companies and approximately 10,000 drivers, would like to state that the vast majority of taxi drivers across Malaysia are professional and well mannered.

It was disheartening to see a small group of malcontents being rude to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad during a forum in Langkawi recently.

But the backlash has already begun with messages on social media going around calling for the boycott of taxis.

It is however not fair to allow a few bad apples to determine the outcome of any situation.

Being a taxi driver can be a thankless, lonely job. Long hours, late nights. But they are an irreplaceable part of the multicultural weave that makes up our society. One that too many take for granted.

They’re just there, in the background. A red and white car besides yours in traffic. A line of them waiting for customers at a mall, or parked near your flat.

They have been here for a long time. Many drivers are from the previous generation, and lament the situation that they have found themselves in.

Their numbers dwindle, and there is no new blood to replace them - the country’s youths are lured by promises of less regulation and better hours to work in the e-hailing industry.

And their time is finally running out. Technology marches on, and they have been left behind. But the industry itself cannot be left to die.

At last census, 67,000 people rely on their taxis to make a living. This is not a weekend job for these 67,000 people. This is their career. And to many of them, they do not know how to be anything else.

Helping does not mean handouts. Helping means shaping good policies that can cut bureaucracy and make it easier and safer for them to make a living.

It does not mean RM5,000 grants or outlawing e-hailing, or promising fuel cards. It doesn’t mean helping them be stuck in the past, but helping them move past it and into the future.

A more proactive approach is needed for regulation and enforcement. Holistic public policy impacting the industry as a whole, and not short-term measures. We need to ensure that they are still in the game.

We also believe that e-hailing companies and taxis can coexist, so long as the playing field is level. The Malaysian public deserves the best service our industries can offer.

PICKnGO believes in embracing the changes that have and will continue to transform the industry rather than fight them.

Our drivers are required to attend courses and our taxis undergo frequent inspections in order to provide the public with the best service.

To Malaysians, we urge you all to give taxi drivers a chance.

We admit that there have been negative experiences with taxi drivers, but there are many, many more good people in the industry, who only want to make an honest living, and who give impeccable and professional service.

Their loss will only serve to cut the ties between our rich past and possible future.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.