Long waits expected after rules come into effect

I REFER to your report “Grab Malaysia deeply concerned over agencies’ lack of readiness to regulate industry” (The StarOnline, Feb 19).

Having used Grab regularly when I needed public transport, I can only sing praises for the service. As an aside, when Uber was around, I did get more offers and cheaper rides from Grab.

My point is the basis of regulating an industry should be to make it more orderly – in the case of public transport, the public gets better service. In this instance, the government seems to be taking this regulatory action to protect taxi drivers.

We read in the report of arbitrary new regulations imposed by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and lack of consultation with the stakeholders. Come on, Transport Minister Loke, this is not the way the Pakatan Harapan government should operate (sigh... I no longer want to use new Malaysia). Such arbitrariness and high-handedness are the hallmarks of the Umnoputras.

This is where true leadership comes in – you must be able to direct your ministry to enact regulations that will not burden the Grab drivers and indirectly inconvenience consumers.

In my conversations with Grab drivers, the consensus is that once those regulations are in force (whatever they are), many part-timers will have to stop. Is this an ideal scenario?

No, I am not a part-time Grab driver but I feel for them. They are working hard for a second income. Why does the government want to deny them this option? As a consumer, I can foresee Grab fares rising and a longer waiting time for a Grab car. The beneficiaries would be the taxi drivers who had held consumers to ransom all those years before Grab!