KUALA LUMPUR. MALAYSIA: Consumer associations have welcomed the move to allow taxi drivers to buy petrol at the old price, but hope the government will also extend the subsidy to diesel-run taxis.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations adviser Datuk Hamdan Adnan said the government's move would benefit the public as they would not be burdened by additional fares as demanded by taxi operators.

"But the government should extend the subsidy to taxis that still run on diesel. This is because there are still a lot of taxis using diesel around."

Kuala Lumpur Consumers Association secretary-general Rupa Saminathan said that the government had at least given some form of relief for consumers.

She said taxi drivers should not be too demanding after the newly-announced subsidy on petrol for them, including requesting for a RM3 initial charge when taking passengers.

"They cannot pass on the costs to consumers. We have our own constraints," she said.

She hoped that the government would set up a monitoring body to ensure that taxi fares were not increased.

However, the Malaysian Taxi Drivers and Owners Association does not agree with both Hamdan and Rupa.

Its secretary Hiew Pow Man said the new subsidy would do little to help the plight of taxi drivers in the country.

"Unfortunately, the majority of taxi drivers use NGV. Lowering the price of petrol would have no effect on them."

Hiew insisted that the only way to help taxi drivers earn more income was by allowing them to raise the initial charge for a passenger entering a taxi.

"If the government allows us to charge RM3 instead of the current RM2, then it will help us a lot. A taxi driver who takes 10 passengers a day can get a minimum of RM30," he said.