23 October 2022
Air travellers will now have to fork out an additional RM2 should they choose to take the e-hailing and taxi services after touching down at klia2.
The RM2 is a new “entrance fee” imposed on all e-hailing and taxi drivers if they wish to pick up passengers at Gate 5, Level 1 of the budget airport.
The new charge, which started last Friday, comes after the company managing the traffic flow and queueing system at klia2 installed a gantry at Level 1, in which the e-hailing and taxi drivers must tap their Touch ‘n Go card to enter the pick-up area. Drivers are also required to have a minimum of RM20 value in their Touch ‘n Go card.
It is believed that the e-hailing drivers and cabbies are passing the extra RM2 charge to their customers.
When contacted, the land public transport agency (Apad) confirmed the new policy was introduced by RA Consultant Group Sdn Bhd (RACG), the company appointed by Segi Astana Sdn Bhd, which is the concessionaire for the integrated complex, gateway@klia2.
“The RM2 is a service charge by RACG for all e-hailing and taxi drivers before they are allowed to pick up customers at the klia2 transport hub,” Apad told FMT.
According to the agency, bus drivers were also required to pay an entrance fee, but at a different rate, before entering the passenger pick-up area.
Apad also did not state if it had given the green light to RACG or Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to initiate the “entrance fee” since Friday.
Meanwhile, describing the RM2 entrance fee as a “toll”, Grab Drivers Malaysia Association (GDMA) president Arif Asyraf Ali said there was no justification to introduce the gantry system.
“I am wondering what service RACG is providing to us to impose such a toll to pick up passengers?” he said, adding that drivers could be given bad ratings by the passengers due to the extra cost issue.
“The drivers are already burdened with the issue of rising prices lately and now we have to face this,” he lamented.
Arif called for RACG and MAHB to allow drivers a minimum of 15 minutes without charge similar to the parking system at the airport.
“For example, if a Grab driver exceeds the 15 minutes grace period at the transport hub, then it is understandable to charge us RM2,” he said.
“We also have to consider the possibility that passengers may make a last-minute cancellation after the driver has already entered the hub and paid the entrance fee.”
GDMA vice-president Azril Ahmat said passengers are not going to be pleased with having to fork out the additional cost and the drivers would bear the brunt of their anger.
“This is a purely profiteering move by the management company and MAHB. We will be on the losing end since we usually have to wait for quite a while for passengers,” he said.
It is learned that KLIA had also imposed a similar “entrance fee” of RM10 for cabbies and e-hailing drivers. However, this is only if drivers exceed a 5-minute grace period to pick up passengers at Gate 4, Level 1 of the main terminal.
FMT has reached out to MAHB for clarification on the “entrance fee” being charged at both airports.
Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com
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