PETALING JAYA: Taxi drivers have voiced mixed reactions to the goodies promised to them in Budget 2012.
Cabbie Md Salim Salehin, 47, welcomed the assistance for those who owned their taxis.
“This shows the Prime Minister cares about us,” said Md Salim, who has been driving his own taxi for the past year.
Salim, however, urged the Government to make it easier for cabbies to get individual taxi permits.
“It was really hard previously. I had to work at least 12 hours a day to make about RM60 and I had to pay that much in taxi rental per day,” he said, recalling his 11 years as a taxi driver after retiring from military service.
Ranjeet Singh, 48, urged the Government to help taxi drivers who were blacklisted by banks and were unable to purchase their own cabs.
“Most taxi drivers are blacklisted because they have to take loans to support themselves. Guarantors of bad debts should be allowed to clear their name,” said Ranjeet.
Among the Government’s proposals announced on Friday was the abolition of road tax for individually owned budget taxis and an interest rate subsidy of 2% on full loans to purchase new locally made taxis.
The excise duty and sales tax would also be waived for the purchase of locally made cabs.
