Getting around Kuala Lumpur by taxi/ cab

Kuala Lumpur has the most dishonest taxi/ cab drivers I have seen, and I thought Bangkok taxi/ cab drivers are bad.  BKK drivers would pretend not to understand English, and resolutely sit there and not give you your change.  Come on, the fare on the meter clearly indicates that they need to give change, but they just sit there, inertly, pretending to be oblivious and clueless.

KL drivers would take you on a ride around the city to rack up the fare.  Even if the distance is extremely short, they would still pretend not to know the way and drive a really long way to send you to your destination.  For example, I took a cab from Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang to back to my hotel at Jalan Conlay.  It is a really short 5 mins drive.  I asked him if he knew where my hotel was.  He said he knew. I took a cab back instead of walking as I was slightly intoxicated. The taxi driver wanted to turn in the opposite direction of where he should be turning.  I said to him, “Shouldn’t you be turning right?”  If he turned right, it’s a simple 5 mins drive.  If he turned left, he would take me on one big round before coming back to Jalan Conlay.  Caught, he mumbled something and turned right.  On Jalan Raja Chulan, he should turn left into Jalan Conlay.  I screamed at him. “Turn here! Turn here!”  He screamed back, “Yes! Yes!” There were no cars and he could have turned in,  but he didn’t turn.  He was hell-bent on taking me for a ride.   We reached a traffic light.  I got out, slammed the door and walked back to my hotel. 

On another occasion, I was travelling to my hotel.  I had my luggage with me.  I got into a red and white cab.  I dictated to him where he should turn and which roads he should take.  When we reached my hotel, the fare on the meter was RM$7 and I gave him RM$10.  He only gave me back RM$2 change.  I was him why.  He hurriedly said RM$1 was for my luggage.  I asked him to show me where on the sticker on the window it says extra RM$1 for luggage.  He couldn’t.  We got into an argument for 5-10 mins.  The hotel’s manager came out, which was of no help.   He asked what was happening. The taxi driver very cleverly switched to Malay, which I couldn’t understand. The manager then repeated what the taxi driver said, that extra RM$1 is charged for luggage. I stood my ground said to the manager to show me in print this regulation. The manager simply repeated what I said back to the cabbie.   Finally, after pretending to search around for a while for a print statement or sticker of some sort that states extra charges for luggage, the taxi driver of course couldn’t and sheepishly gave me my remaining RM$1 change.

At many 5-star hotels, there will be a line of blue executive taxis outside.  These blue executive taxis start from RM$6, as opposed to RM$3 with the normal red and white taxis.  The meters of the blue executive taxis also jump faster.  The executive taxis, though more expensive, are not any more honest.  They will still take the long way to deliver you to your destination.

So, here are some measures you can take to protect yourself:

        1.       If you take a taxi from KL Sentral, please, please, please use the taxi coupon counter.  In KL Sentral Station, just take the escalator up till you see the Hilton/ Le Meridien.  Standing in KL Sentral station, facing the Hilton, Le Meridien, the taxi coupon counter is located on your right.  You queue up, tell them where you want to go and you pay for your taxi coupon. The taxi coupon from KL Sentral to Bukit Bintang cost RM$13.  Right outside, there is a line of taxis waiting.  With your taxi coupon, you just hop onto the next available taxi.  I never have to wait.  I can always get on a cab immediately.  Show your coupon to the driver.  He will tear and retain half of it to claim his fare later on.  With the taxi coupon, the taxi driver will not take you a ride around the city.  After all, you have already paid.  He will drive you as fast as possible to your destination and dispose you so he can pick up his next fare.

        2 .       Get your hotel to arrange complimentary transport to pick your up. If your hotel arranges a metered taxi to pick you up, most probably you will be taken for a ride.

        3.       Take public transport.  Pick a hotel that is close to a monorail or subway station.

        4.       Pass off as a local or at least an expat who’s lived in KL for many years.  With your luggage (like I was), they immediately know you are a tourist and you become a prime target.

        5.       Familiarise your route.  Get a map.  Mark out on your map the exact route you want him to take.  Along the way, remind him where to turn etc.  Yes, you have to twist their arms and micro-manage.

        6.       Know your stuff.  If it’s not in print, it’s not legitimate.  Supposedly, the blue executive taxis do charge extra for luggage and it’s in print on the sticker of the window.  I’m not sure, as I have not taken a blue executive taxi while with luggage.

        7.       Stand your ground.  Don’t be a pushover.  Locals tend to side with locals.  Hotel staff would tell you to come inside and they will settle it for you, even at the top hotels in KL.  Inside, they will just say things to appease you and the taxi driver would have driven away.  Do you really want to let him get away with it?  They will tell you to note down the number plate and make a complaint.  But do you think anything will come out of it?

        8.       Negotiate a fixed fare beforehand.  This is a bit tricky and I don’t really recommend it unless you have travelled the route many times before and you know the metered fare.  If you do, and you managed to negotiate an okay fare, then the driver would drive really fast to dispose you so they can pick up their next fare.