KUALA LUMPUR, April 27— An online survey by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has revealed that over 80 per cent of the public prefer using ride-sharing services Uber and Grabcar over regular taxis.

According to New Straits Times today, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Albar said one of the main reasons commuters prefer the ride-sharing services is due to their accessibility.

“I would not consider this as ride-sharing. I would prefer to look at it as e-hailing. Ride-sharing has got its problem,” he was quoted as saying.

Syed Hamid was also reported as saying that he was yet to submit a study on regulating Uber and Grabcar services to the Transport Ministry.

“We have looked into it and we will submit our views on how we should tackle this issue to the government.

“I have met the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman and we have discussed these issues, including ways to regulate such services because the apps fall under MCMC.

“We have to ensure that the taxi industry in the country is able to coexist and will not be pushed out from our public transportation system,” he was quoted as saying.

Syed Hamid also urged taxi operators to improve their standards in order to offer a better service to their passengers.

In the same report, Malaysia Institute of Transport director Professor Dr Saadiah Yahya urged Uber and Grabcar drivers to get registered with SPAD to allow the regulatory body to control and ensure a smooth operation of the services.

“We want the passengers of Uber and Grabcar users to be protected and covered by insurance,” she was quoted as saying.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi recently said that his ministry was studying the viability to make mandatory of Uber and Grabcar drivers to obtain a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence.

Abdul Aziz said last January that ride-sharing services would soon be required to purchase the same commercial insurance as regular taxis, but that this would only be implemented later in the year once SPAD obtains public feedback.

Several taxi groups have accused SPAD of failing to act against the two ride-sharing services, which they insist have been operating illegally.

The acrimony has resulted in occasionally violent altercations involving irate taxi drivers and Uber and GrabCar drivers.

Uber and GrabCar are competing firms that operate ride-sharing services in which private vehicle owners may offer transport services for hire without the permits and licences needed to operate a commercial taxi.