GrabCar Responds To Taxi Driver Ambush Incident

Following an ambush set up by taxi drivers during yesterday’s protest at the Land Public Transport Commission‘s (SPAD) headquarters in Kelana Jaya where a GrabCar driver was arrested, the company has issued a statement in response to the incident.

As a recap, the driver of the grey Nissan Almera, Suhaimi Abdul Manaf, responded to a request on the GrabCar app from a “passenger” at the SPAD offices. However, when he arrived on site, a crowd of taxi drivers were there to greet him and prevented him from leaving and demanded the SPAD take action against him which they eventually did driving off in the Nissan Almera with the GrabCar driver in the backseat.

A GrabCar spokesman stated in a press statement, "We do not condone such ambush operations and believe the authorities should actively discourage it. As an industry it's important to understand that consumers want both kinds of services and it is the reason why GrabCar exists.”

“In this region for example, regulators in Singapore and Philippines understand the market nuances and have regulatory frameworks that balance consumer protection and the flexibility needed for innovation in the public transport industry.“

“The multiple services help to ease the barriers that exist within the industry, such as the lack of available on-demand transport options during peak period. By increasing the types of transportation options for consumers, and making it safer and more convenient, we’ve helped to grow the industry as a whole."

The clampdown on private taxi and ridesharing apps such as Uber, GrabCar, Easy Taxi, and Blacklane saw the seizure of nine vehicles during a three-hour operation on Wednesday by SPAD.