Taxi drivers object Uber's intervention in civil suit

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 102 taxi drivers from Klang Valley and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) have objected to Uber's application to intervene in a civil suit in a High Court, today.
Uber's application was following the taxi drivers filing a civil suit against SPAD on Dec 30, 2015, seeking the High Court to ban Uber, GrabCar and Blacklane.

"The taxi drivers and SPAD are resisting the application to intervene," said lawyer R.Kengadharan, who represented the taxi drivers, who are members of the Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee.
"We are saying Uber is not regulated and Uber's activities are not in compliance with Road Transport Enactment 1987 and SPAD's enactment," he added.
He said the suit is fixed for a case management on May 31, 2016, before High Court judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin. The parties met with Deputy Registrar Lukman Hakim Abu Bakar in his chambers, today.
Kengadharan when asked why Uber wants to intervene said "Uber is saying that their livelihood is threatened if they are not given an opportunity to intervene."
The 102 members, including its president, Zailani Isa Usuludin are seeking for a declaration to ban Uber, GrabCar and Blacklane activities and operation as it is not subjected to Land Public Transport's act.
They are also seeking for a permanent injunction in order that SPAD will not legalise the three operations.
The taxi drivers claimed that SPAD failed, refused and neglected to take action or investigate over their complaint that; the three operations did not obtain prior approval from SPAD to operate and that they are using private vehicles as a public transport - taxi.
They have also claimed that the drivers do not have any insurance coverage to protect the passengers and violated Land Public Transport Act and that Uber, GrabCar and Blacklane were given priority by the defendant while their rights and interest were sidelined and ignored.
Meanwhile, Zailani told reporters not to find fault with the 30,000 taxi drivers who use metered taxis although there are some black sheep among them whom the authorities can take action.