'Don't take us for a ride, with free rides, fix the public transport system'

June 17, 2022 @ 10:23am
KUALA LUMPUR: Netizens called on the government to upgrade and improve the country's public transport system instead of offering one-off freebies, which they said will not help ease their commute.

The barrage of comments spotlighting Malaysia's inefficient public transport system and poorly maintained facilities, including lifts and escalators at stations operated by RapidKL as well as KTM Komuter in the Klang Valley, were shared on Twitter and Facebook.

The remarks came following the government's announcement yesterday that the public can use the public transport systems in the Klang Valley without paying a sen for one month starting yesterday.

"I repeat. I would rather you (stakeholders) fix the trains than do this. What's the point of giving out free rides if we can't even commute to begin with? Or did they mysteriously forget about the lack of trains at Pasar Seni recently?", a netizen tweeted.

"Fix the escalator and lift too please, especially at station MRT Kajang and MRT Pasar Seni," another wrote.

"Price not an issue if the service is efficient. Why does the ministry never get this?," a frequent commuter asked.

"Don't take us for a ride with free rides. This still doesn't solve the problem as there will still be long lines at transit stations like Pasar Seni. Why not increase train frequency? Get the public transport system fixed," a netizen said.

Another commuter wrote: "I'm scared of the repercussions of this. Train stations will only get more crowded.

"One month of free public transport rides but almost everything malfunctions or has some sort of problem, especially at Pasar Seni.

Read more: 'Don't take us for a ride, with free rides, fix the public transport system'

Govt to monitor e-hailing amid complaints of fare spike

May 22, 2022 2:12 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will monitor e-hailing services from time to time as well as gather and analyse information before any changes are made, including the proposed fare regulatory mechanism.

The Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) said factors such as the working environment of drivers, passengers, service providers, and others must be taken into account to ensure balanced supply and demand.

This follows complaints from passengers regarding the current e-hailing price surge and driver shortage, especially during peak hours.

The service fare was reported to have increased up to 400% during peak hours, triggering dissatisfaction among passengers and consumer groups.

They also called for government intervention, among others, including implementing an e-hailing fare regulation.

According to the agency, the concept of e-hailing service involves mutual agreement between users and service providers for travel bookings through an application that displays the fare amount. Users have the option to continue with the booking or not.

“To date, there are more than 10 major e-hailing service providers offering the service,” the agency said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) senior lecturer Nur Azam Anuarul Perai said the proposal to regulate prices, such as setting a ceiling price, may cause a shortage of drivers as they could quit due to inadequate returns.

Read more: Govt to monitor e-hailing amid complaints of fare spike

File complaints over indiscriminate flight changes, Mavcom told consumers

May 13, 2022 @ 9:08pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has urged consumers affected by indiscriminate changes to flight schedules to lodge a complaint with their respective operating airlines.

Executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said it was important for consumers to be well informed of their rights as air travellers.

Saripuddin said the airlines customer should be made aware that airlines and other aviation service providers must resolve their complaints within 30 days as outlined in the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC).

"This timeline requirement also applies to various other aviation-related issues, including flight cancellations, mishandled baggage, and others," he said in a statment.

Meanwhile, Saripuddin said if the response provided by the airlines was unsatisfactory or if the matter remained unresolved, the customer should escalate those complaints to Mavcom together with the relevant documentation.

"Since Mavcom's inception in 2016, we received more than 22,000 complaints and feedback from consumers whom we have assisted," he said.

Mavcom stands firm that consumer rights should continuously be upheld by airlines and is well underway with its investigation of flight schedule disruptions by all airlines over the recent festive period.

Read more: File complaints over indiscriminate flight changes, Mavcom told consumers

Pelanggan syarikat penerbangan boleh tuntut pampasan akibat kelewatan - KPDNHEP

Mei 9, 2022 @ 9:04pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Pelanggan syarikat penerbangan yang berdepan kelewatan berhak menuntut pampasan tertakluk kepada beberapa faktor bagi meneruskan perjalanan.

Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, berkata berdasarkan maklumat diperoleh daripada Suruhanjaya Penerbangan Malaysia (MAVCOM), pampasan itu bergantung kepada punca penundaan atau pembatalan yang berlaku.

Katanya, ia merangkumi makanan, panggilan telefon dan akses internet bagi penangguhan selama dua jam atau lebih, penginapan hotel dan pengangkutan untuk penangguhan selama lima jam atau lebih, pembayaran balik secara penuh atau penerbangan alternatif sekiranya penerbangan dibatalkan.

"Bagaimanapun, satu-satunya pengecualian pampasan patut diberikan apabila berlaku keadaan luar biasa yang mendatangkan risiko keselamatan atau cuaca ekstrim yang mana syarikat penerbangan tidak dapat menjangkakannya.

"Justeru, sekiranya pengguna perkhidmatan penerbangan berpendapat tidak mendapat pampasan sewajarnya, boleh kemukakan aduan rasmi kepada syarikat penerbangan sebelum menghubungi MAVCOM," katanya dalam satu ciapan di Twitternya.

Baru-baru ini, viral di media sosial mengenai rungutan pengguna perkhidmatan sebuah syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah yang berdepan masalah kelewatan hingga mengundang masalah kepada mereka.

Alexander berkata, beliau mengambil maklum mengenai rungutan, aduan dan keluhan disuarakan oleh pengguna berhubung kelewatan penerbangan syarikat itu membabitkan pelbagai destinasi dalam negara.

Read more: Pelanggan syarikat penerbangan boleh tuntut pampasan akibat kelewatan - KPDNHEP

90% of AirAsia passenger refunds settled, says Tony Fernandes

March 28, 2022 5:15 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has settled over 90% of passenger refunds thus far, Capital A Bhd (formerly known as AirAsia Group Bhd) chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said.

This, he said, was despite the financial difficulty faced by the airline industry, which was badly battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“AirAsia has handled over 90% of refunds and it was not an issue as we have been transparent,” he told reporters at the virtual launch of Airasia Super App’s new Super+ plan today.

Fernandes said this was considered remarkable because it was achieved without any financial support involving huge amounts from the government, compared to other airlines, as AirAsia had been flying about 90 million people during the pre-Covid-19 times.

He also did not expect to face a big hurdle in settling more refunds in a few months’ time.

Fernandes said the airline was seeing a strong comeback and had performed beyond expectations in most domestic markets.

“More refunds will be coming as the flights resume — probably within a couple of months in Malaysia and within six months in the Philippines.”

He said AirAsia X’s guests would also be getting vouchers when the airline starts flying.

On the Super+ plan, Fernandes said it is the first pass that combined flights and food delivery for a year in a single package.

Read more: 90% of AirAsia passenger refunds settled, says Tony Fernandes