May 27, 2014
On May 3rd an airport taxi driver appeared to try to commit a crime against us. See below for details.
This is a followup article.
I sent by email complaints to SPAD, the airport taxi company and the tourist authority. And the results three weeks later are:
Nothing.
Well, two of the three said they would investigate. SPAD emailed me back quite promptly and told me their phone system was down when I called. They said they would investigate. The tourist office also said they would investigate. And the taxi company simply did not reply at all.
I emailed all three a photo of the taxi driver’s licence (which has his photo, licence number etc. on it), and of his car and number plate. In a few minutes they could have all the information they need to talk to this man.
If I actually get any further information I will post it.
In the meantime my taxi plans are to only use drivers I know and trust, or those my friends know and trust if at all possible. If I must otherwise take a taxi, copy his number plate and text it to someone I know locally, saying I will text again once I have arrived in about X minutes. If you know no one in Penang or Malaysia, then you could email the number plate and details to SPAD – their details are easily seen in every taxi and are in a photo below. Once in the car photograph his taxi licence – which is on the front windscreen – and email that too to someone. Inform the driver, if he doesn’t notice, that I am doing this. If he is not using his meter, then write down the agreed fare on a piece of paper and ensure he agrees with it. And wear the seat belt, which now finally all taxis seem to have in the rear. If he brakes hard to injure or surprise you, at least you will be safe.
If feeling very threatened just get out of the taxi when he stops at a light – where people are around preferably – and abandon your luggage.
This may be way too cautious. But I am not sure any more.
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At Penang Airport there are posters recommending avoiding taxi touts and instead catching an airport taxi. You buy a coupon just outside, and this costs RM44.70, for example, to Pulau Tikus except very early or late when there is a surcharge. The price is reasonable, and in fact I have been doing this for the six or so years I have been living here when returning home from the airport. The quality of the cars is mixed, but the drivers have always been honest.
But not today. The passenger ahead in the queue was picked up by a new Nissan Silphy. Which means, on average, that our car would be an old Proton – and so it was. The driver barely spoke any English, but he seemed to understand more or less where we were going. Once clear of the airport and on the main road, the driver moved to the left lane and slowed to a crawl, while talking on his mobile phone. We asked what he was doing and he said he had car problems. However, it did not seem like it at all. We told him to get a move on and he did for a bit, and then pulled into a side street, and navigated into some narrow suburban lanes. We called someone who spoke Malay and gave the phone to the driver to explain, but he told our friend the same – that he had car problems. The driver stopped at a petrol station, and it seemed his idea was to transfer us to his friend’s car. So they could be planning anything from murder to kidnapping to just extortion for money.
All taxis have a SPAD sticker – transport department – so we rang – and all we got was a message to leave your number and they would call back – which they didn’t. Useless. We then just told him forcefully we’d had enough and to take us to our destination – and he did. No car problems at all. He understood much more English than he pretended – to we spoke another language to each other so he wouldn’t understand.
We got him to drop us at a nearby hotel so he wouldn’t know our house. Naturally I photographed his licence as displayed on the windscreen, and his car’s number plate. And now we are sending complaints to SPAD, the airport taxi company and the police.
Koplimo White Taxi:
airportaxipenang@gmail.com 04-643 3922
SPAD:
SPAD
The airport administration really don’t want you to have a taxi driver you have arranged to pick you up. However, if you live in Penang it pays to have one or two trusted taxi drivers, and perhaps you should do just that.
Tropical Expat 