For those who take public transport in KL, I'm pretty sure you all have poor (terrible) experiences with taxis in KL. For those who didn't, taxis in KL are generally quite dirty, foul smelled, untidy and poorly maintained, and the taxi drivers can be really rude, harassing, jam their music very loud, don't wanna use meters, overcharging passengers. I know there are still some good taxi drivers out there but there are just too many bad ones. That's why KL is being notorious for the worst taxi services in the world.
Afraid not commuters, there's a new way to travel around the city, Uber. Uber is a ride sharing platform where normal users can be drivers, through proper verification and others users can request rides to travel. It's similar to one of the local's service, GrabTaxi, a variant of MyTeksi. For now, I will only cover Uber as I do not have enough rides with GrabTaxi to make a proper conclusion.
First and foremost, you must create an account (duh), which is here. Go through filling in the details and your card info as credit card is the primary method of making payment. After setting up and verifying your account, you are good to go!
To order a ride, simply open up Uber app from your phone like the one on my phone's screen above. The phone will show your approximate current location, the nearest drivers, the waiting time and allow you to drop the pin which the driver will pick you up. This is where you can set your destination and get the estimated fare for the ride. You can also key in promo code during promotional period or send out fare sharing to divide your fare automatically with your friends who are tagging along.
The experience I had with Uber are generally positive. The ride is ACTUALLY calculated with running rate, no more arguing about prices! The starting fare is also quite reasonable at RM2. However, the most important thing of all, the drivers. They are very friendly in general, if you start a conversation with them, they will chat with you without going overboard, I met quite some quiet ones, not because they are unfriendly, just that they are quiet.
At the end of the ride, your fare will be finalised and the receipt will be sent to your email account. You can rate your experience of the ride after you reached your destination. If you find your journey strayed too far from the route, you can request for a fare review to get a proper valuation.
Overall, my experience with UberX KL so far has been positive. It is easy to use, almost certain to get rides if there are drivers around, promotions from time to time has allowed me to save more from the rides. Lastly, the rides are generally much cleaner and friendlier. If you want to go places that rails aren't able to reach, UberX is worth the consideration.
If you are trying Uber for the first time, you can enter the promo code "uberCRA458" for RM40 off for your first ride. Give it a shot! Besides, throughout the whole July 2015, Uber rides will be 20% off.
Current UberX rate
Base Fare: RM2
Running rate: RM0.35/min + RM0.70/KM
Minimum Fare: RM2
I will cover GrabTaxi and other services from Uber soon. Stay tuned.
*Disclaimer: This is not endorsed by Uber in any form. It is just my personal experience that I offer to allow commuters to have more options to take rides around KL.
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