Asked whether the gathering had affected the smooth running of the 27th ASEAN Summit in the capital, which began today, he said the event did not disrupt the course of the conference because it only focused on Padang Merbok.
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He said the City Hall would only consider giving the green light after the Asean summit, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. “The police and DBKL will have to do something”, he told The Star.
According to The Star, Kamarudin Mohd Hussain, a member of the Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee confirmed that they would proceed with the gathering all the same.
Today, November 18, it is reported that a few 6,000 taxi drivers will be illegally gathering at Padang Merbok, Masjid Negara, the Craft Complex near Jalan Conlay, and at the Merdeka Square.
“We will not hesitate to use existing laws (against taxi permit holders) if the taxis are used in the demonstration”, he said, adding those who plan on taking part in the protest will face action under the Peaceful Assembly Act.
“If it is true, that would be a repeat of the taxi picket three years ago at Bukit Bintang which caused the city’s traffic into a standstill for several hours during evening peak hour”, said Malaysian Taxi, Limousine and auto Rental Operators and Drivers Association (Petekma) president Shahrir Abd Aziz. The group claimed earlier that SPAD had failed to take care of the industry, and had allowed ride-sharing services such as Uber and GrabCar to operate here.
They claim that the Land Public Transport Commission has not been firm enough in going after Uber and GrabCar, and want its leadership to be “reshuffled”.
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SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar could not be reached for comment.
