Taxi drivers operating in KL Sentral charge high rates after 2am

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THE taxi drivers at KL Sentral are fleecing customers by charging exorbitant rates after the taxi counter closes at 2am.

As soon as the counter closes, taxi drivers will make a beeline for KL Sentral, charging rates higher than the ones approved by the authorities.

According to sources, they take advantage of people who are tired and just want to go home and who will not argue about the rates.

There will be one taxi driver who controls the others and decides on who will ferry the passengers.

Orderly: In the day, the taxi services are organised with the coupon counters open and taxis waiting in line to pick up passengers.

“This man will pick and choose the passengers who are going long distance like Genting Highlands and will not take people going to Brickfields or Bangsar unless they are willing to pay a high fare,’’ the source said.

According to the source, a passenger who had just arrived at KL Sentral by bus from LCCT (Low-Cost Carrier Terminal) with his family one morning had to haggle for more than 30 minutes just to agree to the fare that was acceptable to the driver.

“He finally agreed to pay RM70 go to Wangsa Permai and he did not want to argue anymore as he had his children with him. They were tired and wanted to get home as soon as possible,’’ the source said.

In another incident an American tourist staying at Hilton Kuala Lumpur complained he was charged RM45 just to go to Parkroyal Hotel in Bukit Bintang.

Unruly: A ‘marshal’ in charge allots passengers for his group of taxi drivers and bullies anyone who gets in his way.

“It was after midnight and I wanted to get a coupon taxi but was told by one of the guys that the counter is closed and he would take me,’’ said the American who did not want to reveal his name.

Puncak Holdings Sdn Bhd, the coupon taxi operator has two booths in KL Sentral. However, the counters only operate from 6am to 2.30am.

Once the counter closes, the touts appear and the “marshal” in charge will take control of the operations by picking and choosing customers for his gang of taxi drivers.

Anyone who gets in their way are scolded and bullied into silence. A few quarrels were reported to have occurred at the terminal.

StarMetro visited the terminal after 2am recently and noticed the touts operating near the main entrance on Level 2 facing Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur and at the ERL (Express Rail Link) departure area on Level 1.

Due to the construction work at the ground level facing Brickfields, the buses from LCCT have to go up to Level 1 to pick up and drop off passengers after 7pm. This is where the touts operate.

The taxi drivers will quote high prices and passengers who insist cabbies use the meter will be scolded.

After 2.30am, there are only a few traffic wardens and auxiliary police to monitor the situation.

Errant taxi drivers would park illegally at the drop-off point instead of waiting in the designated queue with other cabbies.

The taxis would wait for buses to arrive and follow closely behind to the drop-off point for passengers.

The drivers would then park their cars in the middle of the road, ignoring traffic rules and rush out to the buses before the passengers disembark.