CITY cabbies have hit the headlines yet again for overcharging but the difference now is that they feel no guilt as they claim it is their only means of survival.

A check by StarMetro at 10 taxi hotpots in Kuala Lumpur recently reflected a state of lawlessness that seemed to have pervaded the city.

The situation became worse ever since the government raised the fuel price last month, triggering a free-for-all situation as more and more cabbies decide to do away with the meter and quote their own rates according to their whims and fancies.

The argument that NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles) is cheaper and, therefore, the price increase does not affect them no longer holds water as they claim that it makes no difference at all.

Currently, NGV is offered at 68sen per litre while petrol is at RM2.70 per litre.

Taxi drivers claim that before the petrol increase, a full tank of NGV would cost RM8.30 to RM8.50.

"That would take us a distance of 150km to 160km. However, with the recent increase in petrol price, even NGV seems to have gone up in terms of volume," taxi driver Rahim Kechik said.

Rahim said it now cost him RM10 to RM10.50 to get a full tank of NGV - yet the mileage remained the same.

Petronas Dagangan Bhd had recently clarified in a letter to StarMetro that the NGV price had not been increased.

The statement reiterated that Petronas conducted scheduled servicing of its gas processing plant as part of its periodic maintenance exercise.

This has resulted in a richer gas content, based on the reading from their Chromatograph Analyser. The statement said when gas content was richer, it had more weight and volume and, in turn, provideed better mileage.

However, city cabbies insist the mileage remains the same.

"I wonder where the extra RM2 goes?" Rahim asked, adding that as far as cabbies were concerned they were on the losing end.

Cabbies also claimed that long queues at NGV stations were another problem and they wanted more NGV-equipped stations to be opened.

Khairuddin Shamsudin has been driving his taxi for over 20 years and prides himself with the knowledge that he is one of the few who still uses the meter.

"But I respect the ones that don't," he said.

"They are bold to do what they do - to wait at the taxi stand for hours like that. You must respect their patience," Khairuddin said.

According to Khairuddin, at least 85% of cabbies in KL are not using meters. Cabbies prefer to wait at one designated spot and return to wait again. They charge a higher rate as they usually come back empty to the spot.

"They feel it's a better alternative to being stuck in traffic for hours, burning fuel and adding to stress levels," he said.

Khairuddin said in all his years of driving a taxi, this was the first time the situation had become critical for drivers.

"How do you feel when you're stuck in a jam every day? Imagine doing it day and night. I have seen families broken, divorces and abuse on the rise because of this. Can you blame us for taking the easy way out?" Khairuddin asked.

Due to this state of affairs, more and more areas in the city are being "taken over" by rogue taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter.

However, cabbies not bold enough to overcharge are being bullied by these errant ones. One such person is Azman, who only started driving a taxi about six months ago.

"If I don't follow their rule, they threatened to smash my windscreen," Azman said.

"I was told that if I wanted to join their queue at the Lot 10 taxi stop, I had to follow their rates and not use the meter. If I don't like it I have to find another spot to operate," Azman said.

"They are everywhere now as most of the city has become a black area," he added.

To the people at the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), these black areas are called hot spots.

Traditionally, hot spots in KL used to be at Puduraya, Chinatown, and KLCC, but, today, almost every shopping mall has been taken over by touts.

Taxi stands controlled by touts are the ones in front of Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10, KL Plaza and the Pavilion with the exception of Sungei Wang Plaza and Mid Valley - thanks to the management?s efforts in controlling the situation.

Another soon to be black area is the KL Sentral in Brickfields where, despite having a coupon system, customers are still being swindled by errant cabbies.

"There is nothing we can do," said Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahman of Puncak Holdings Sdn Bhd, the company that manages the coupon counter at KL Sentral.

"Two of our traffic wardens were beaten up by these rogue drivers recently when they tried to instil order. One of them has since resigned," Mohamad Noor said.

Customers who buy taxi coupons are guaranteed a taxi since they are paying a slightly higher rate than usual. But there are times when they have to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour for a taxi.

The reason? A group of rogue taxis drivers have set up their own counter at KL Sentral and are quoting a more exorbitant rate and even have the audacity to issue their own receipts.

Many honest cabbies have succumbed to the temptation.

"Get used to it because this is survival," said Khairuddin.

"The fuel price hike this time around is the worst ever and I fear that more drivers are eventually going to do away with the meter," he said.