Is it worth the trouble to train taxi drivers?

Focus Malaysia

4 days ago

I DON'T know whether to laugh or cry when reading the Bernama report 'VM2026: Gov't Plans Language, Etiquette Training for Taxi Drivers ‒ Loke' published last Sunday.
It was reported that Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook emphasised that taxi drivers play a crucial role as the first point of contact for visitors, shaping their initial impression of the country.
He said: 'The taxi industry is more than just transportation, but represents the heartbeat of public service and serves as the first impression of the country for tourists. The initiative is part of broader efforts to improve public transport quality ahead of the anticipated tourism surge in 2026.'
To me, it was like stepping back in time when I drove metered taxis in the Klang Valley from 2000 to 2010.
For Visit Malaysia 2007, taxi drivers were trained under the old two-day Mesra Malaysia programme, which I did not attend as I was one of the certified trainers for this course.
Later in July 2012, the Tourism Taxi Ambassadors programme was launched by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at Dataran Putra. In attendance were tourism minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, several other cabinet ministers, and more than 500 taxi drivers assembled there.
Training had commenced earlier in March and as of June 28, about 2,315 taxi drivers have been selected to undergo training.
It was reported that some 4,000 taxi drivers will be appointed as ambassadors after they have completed a one-day course at the Malaysian Tourism Centre.
During the launching ceremony, Najib told taxi drivers they are the 'pulse of the ecosystem' for tourism as they meet and interact with tourists who come to the country, and well-trained taxi drivers can help shape and improve tourists' perception of Malaysia.
He said, 'If taxi drivers are polite, courteous, and customer-friendly, speak good things about the country, and show a positive attitude, tourists will feel welcome. Tourists meet thousands of taxi drivers and through their interactions, tourists' perception of Malaysia is formed.'
He said the government decided to appoint taxi drivers as tourism ambassadors as it realises that cabbies are the front-liners in welcoming and interacting with tourists and explained that taxi drivers have been trained and given guidance on how to project a good image of Malaysia.
But all the hype and training had largely been in vain, and I should know. I trained taxi drivers in 2014 under different programmes for taxi companies and government agencies, including the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) for 1,000 Teksi 1Malaysia (TEKS1M) drivers.
The 2012 Tourism Taxi Ambassadors programme was introduced as taxi drivers were seen as a vote bank and influencers in the 2013 General Elections.
The training did not stop Kuala Lumpur from having the worst taxi drivers in the world in 2015, as ranked by LondonCabs.co.uk.
In 2014, Uber was introduced to Malaysia, forcing MyTeksi to also using private cars to compete and morph into Grab. Instead of continuing to rent permits, cabbies switched to private cars and ran more trips than taxi drivers, as passengers could hire them easily and even pay less.
As a result, most taxi drivers switched to e-hailing, leaving only the stubborn and still trying to fix fares, or those who could not learn how to receive bookings via apps, especially the elderly.
Now, these taxi drivers wait patiently for long hours at train stations or shopping malls for passengers.
If they could be roped in to attend training on language and etiquette, they must surely rank as the most difficult to train participants in the world.
In any case, domestic and foreign visitors have been using e-hailing apps back home and when they travel, and hardly use local taxis.
Therefore, announcing the plan to train taxi drivers during the third annual general meeting of the Malaysia Taxi, Rental Car, Limousine and Airport Taxi Association appears to be a move just to win over taxi drivers. But the number and role is a pale shadow of their former self. ‒ July 29, 2025
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: VOCKET