Getting into a taxi in KL could pose a gamble for some, like a box of chocolate you just don’t know what you gonna get. That is the reputation our cab drivers have garnered over the years, but its the act of a few that has given the rest of the good, a bad rap. With taxi apps like MyTeksi all this could change, thanks to the local start-up taxi drivers are now seeing their long hours and unappreciated efforts valued with . Further illustrating their commitment towards taxi drivers the company which just received US$340 million in investment fund launched its all-new Elite Drivers Programme – an initiative that sees the homegrown startup investing RM4.5m into a fund to improve drivers’ welfare. The programme, which is on-going until end of December 2015, will promote and reward MyTeksi’s most active drivers and those who meet the highest service standard with up to RM10,000 in benefits each month, including insurance coverage, financial incentives, MyTeksi collaterals and more.
“We are committed to improving the welfare of our taxi drivers, and at the same time, we are using this opportunity to recognise exemplary performance among drivers and reward them for doing a great job – and also redeeming the reputation of taxi drivers. In general, we tend to hear complaints about the quality of taxi drivers, and less of kudos for good performance. It is true that customers should be able to expect good service as a basic benchmark, but it is nevertheless important for us to acknowledge the drivers who go the distance to perform their job well,” said Jaygan Fu, MyTeksi General Manager.
At the launch, Fu revealed that 200 Klang Valley-based taxi drivers have been identified as the first wave of MyTeksi Elite Drivers. They were selected through several months of evaluations and interviews by the MyTeksi management team. “The elite drivers are selected based on targets achieved as well as consistently good customer service. The programme has been very well received – based on feedback from the drivers during the selection process. We will be organising further rounds of selection and announcing new waves across the country over the next half year until December. Currently, we are looking to hold the next round of selection in July,” he said.
To date, the MyTeksi app – available on Google Play, App Store and BlackBerry World, has been downloaded more than 4.8 million mobile phone devices, with 10 bookings per second and more than 91,000 drivers across six Southeast Asian countries – Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
