KUALA LUMPUR: Over 1,000 taxi drivers converged at Padang Merbok as early as 9am to protest against the Land Public Transport Commission today.
The rally, organised by the Taxi Drivers Action Committee (JBPTLK), was geared towards demanding the resignation SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, a revamp of SPAD, and a ban on ride-sharing services GrabCar and Uber, among others.
At 11.30am, the group headed to Parliament with the intention of handing over a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"SPAD has failed to protect the taxi industry. Our welfares are being neglected. Our income had significantly decreased due to the unfair competition by GrabCar and Uber.
“It's best for the SPAD chairman to resign since he is incapable of propelling the taxi industry to a new level," JBPTLK committee member Kamarudin Mohd Hussain told the media.
Kamarudin estimated that 6,000 taxi drivers will turn up at the rally, which would be held until 5pm.
Police had yesterday declared the rally as illegal as the organisers did not obtain to hold the event