Yap (left) and Dr Lee raising the problem of the petrol subsidy card during a press conference in Ipoh Monday.
While motorists are paying less for fuel these days, taxi drivers are forking out more with the petrol subsidy card.
Ipoh City Taxi Operator Association chairman Yap Siew Chuan said the subsidy card, which they received from the Government, charged RM1.92 for a litre of petrol.
Yap said the Government had issued taxi drivers with the card after the petrol price shot up to RM2.70 a litre in June.
“But now the retail price of petrol is RM1.90 a litre,” he told reporters here monday after raising the matter with Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye.
Yap said this meant that taxi drivers were paying two sen more for a litre of petrol if they were to use the card, which they received in October.
“We hope the Government will revise the petrol subsidy card to less than RM1.50 a litre,” he said, adding that the card was now useless to them.
Prices had been cut for the fifth time this year and RON97 petrol is now RM1.90 per litre, while RON92 petrol and diesel are priced at RM1.80 a litre.
Yap said the taxi drivers were unable to lower their fares although the petrol price had dropped to RM1.90 per litre because the prices of other items were still high.
“We are being burdened with the high cost of tyres, spare parts and maintenance fees,” he added.
Yap also urged the Government to look into the problem of high insurance premiums imposed on taxi drivers.
In June, he said, taxi drivers experienced an increase in annual premium from about RM300 to RM800 for those with No Claim Bonus (NCB). “Without the NCB, the premium could even go up to RM1,000,” he added.
Dr Lee said he would write to Bank Negara and the Finance Ministry so that the respective authorities could help resolve the problems faced by taxi drivers.
Source: The Star By Hah Foong Lian
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