The numbers don’t add up
IT does not take a degree in rocket science to come to the conclusion that Malaysia had (yes, in the past tense), the most expensive taxis in the world. At RM7 million for five taxis, it would have cost a whopping RM1.4 million each.
Not many may have had the opportunity to ride in these taxis, but bless those who had because they will have their names etched in gold in the annals of Malaysian transportation history.
Having used the Opels in the eighties and Protons over the years, never had many imagined travelling in such luxury. Never mind that some of our cabbies overcharge and throw tantrums, but when you do the numbers, something does not compute. Let’s assume each taxi runs for five years. To re-coup the investment, you must generate revenues of RM768 a day. That does not include fuel and maintenance charges. Let’s put that at a conservative RM100 a day. So, to make it worthwhile for the cabby, he has to rake in at least RM1,000 a day. That means he has to do the KLIA-city run at least 12 times a day.
But what beats me is what car can cost RM1.4 million? Surely a Porsche or a Ferrari with just two seats and hardly any luggage space cannot be used as a taxi. Rolls Royces are owned by car rental firms and are never used as taxis. So, what are we left with? The S-Class Merc? The BMW 7 series? Have you seen any such taxis in Malaysia?
