I REFER to your report ”Individual taxi permits” dated May 13 and strongly believe that it is the right move to clean up the taxi business.

Taxi drivers in the Klang Valley are generally overworked and underpaid, resulting in tremendous stress and often unethical behaviours like their refusing to use the meter, refusing to go to certain destinations and often taking unsuspecting passengers for a ride so that they can charge more.

We do not understand why taxi licences are issued to certain companies, which in turn rent out the licences to the drivers. This has resulted in the drivers having to pay exorbitant rentals.

Because of such a practice, the taxi drivers actually have to work really hard just to pay the rentals, and take home a meagre income. Do we really need a layer of rent-seekers between the passengers and the taxi drivers?

Let the driver own the licence and hold him accountable for his actions.

Then it would be right to take severe action against the taxi driver if he does not use the meter or refuses to take passengers to certain destinations. It would be right to suspend him and revoke his licence indefinitely. Only then can we wipe out the bad apples in the industry.

PHILIP WONG PAK MING,

President, Sarawak-Sabah Foochow Association Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/23/focus/21334148&sec=focus