Taxicab types

Before the start of local car production, the Mercedes-Benz 200,

Mazda 323 The , also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004. It was marketed as the '' ...

Ford Laser The Ford Laser is a compact car, originally a subcompact car in the first three generations, which was sold by Ford in Asia, Oceania, and parts of South America and Africa. It has generally been available as a sedan or hatchback, although conve ...

, Toyota Mark II X80 series and the

Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra. Kadett I (1936–1940) ...

were used. Most were scrapped and replaced by Protons, but there are still a large number running the roads. Those old models have a "Kereta Sewa" sign on top and use old taxi registration plates.Glimpse into growth of taxi services in Malaysia
/ref> Although most taxicabs run on

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

, a handful of taxicabs run on

CNG Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cyl ...

. There are a number of small taxicab companies and some private individual ones. Cabs are generally in red and white. Larger and reliable taxi companies are required to display they owned colors i.e. Sunlight Radio Cab, Innovasi Timur Orange Taxi Cab and Public Cab. File:HJA4465 (Proton Exora).jpg, Budget taxi in Johor Bahru File:Taxi in Kuching 04 (cropped).JPG, Executive taxi in Kuching File:Taxi in Kuala Lumpur 02.JPG, Executive taxi in Kuala Lumpur File:Taxi in Kuching 01.JPG, Budget taxi in Kuching

Reputation

The reputation of Malaysia's taxi service has been marred by the poor conduct of local taxi drivers, who have been known, among others, refusing usage of

taximeter A taximeter or fare meter is a mechanical or electronic device installed in taxicabs and auto rickshaws that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time. Its shortened form, "taxi", is also a metony ...

s, overcharging and force picking which destinations the customers will travel to, while also driving poorly maintained vehicles. Larger metered taxi companies i.e. Sunlight Radio Cab, RB Premier Taxi Sdn. Bhd., Uptownace (M) Sdn. Bhd., Laluan Emas Sdn. Bhd,. Insan Lemak Sdn. Bhd. and Innovasi Timur Orange Taxi Cab are more likely to charge passengers using meter; although they are still owned and managed by individual taxi drivers. Newer companies such as Swift Limousine & Cab owns and controls their vehicles with ensures all drivers have rigorous background checks. An alternative option is to use secure taxi booking apps like Grab or TaxiMonger. Drivers are certified safe and all will use taxi-meters. The apps also allow customers to contact the assigned driver directly and track their whereabouts on a real time map. In a June 2008 survey conducted by Malaysian expatriate magazine '' The Expat'' on an estimated 200 foreigners from 30 countries, Malaysia's taxis were found to rank the lowest among the 23 countries in terms of quality, courtesy, availability and expertise. The behavior of taxi drivers has tarnished the image of Malaysia, particularly among foreign tourists, to the point some have begun resorting to paying for upscale taxis that are more expensive but operate with better service.

References

{{World topic, Taxis of, noredlinks=yes

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Public transport in Malaysia Road transport in Malaysia