PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Taxi companies whose drivers flout rules and regulations now risk having all their permits suspended.

"Previously, only the taxi driver guilty of flouting the regulation would have his permit suspended. Now, if a taxi company has 100 permits, all will be suspended even if only one driver is guilty," Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar told reporters after attending his ministry's Hari Raya open house here yesterday.

This decision was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Mentris Besar yesterday, he said.

Noh who attended the meeting, said many of the Mentris Besar had complained during the meeting about the lack of quality service from taxi drivers.

Noh said Abdullah had also expressed his unhappiness and asked for tougher action on taxi drivers and companies.

"Many taxi drivers were not using their meters or overcharging customers, especially tourists, during the Hari Raya festive period."

He said the states also noted in many instances, the taxi drivers were foreigners who were not allowed to drive at all.

Noh advised passengers who felt they were being cheated by taxi drivers to note details such as vehicle number, permit licence or the name of the cab company.

Noh also said the 30% fare surcharge imposed on express and stage bus tickets during the festive season would continue indefinitely.

He said the surcharge would be imposed until the Government decided whether to allow bus and taxi companies to increase their fares. The fare surcharge was to have been stopped from Wednesday.

The ministry, Noh added, had also received fewer complaints on touts and the lack of buses during this festive period compared to previous years.