Grab And E-Hailing Passengers Must Register With Their IC Or Passport Under New Rules
The Transport Ministry announced a set of new regulations for the e-hailing industry yesterday, 11 July.
By John Lim — 12 Jul 2018, 01:05 PM
E-hailing service providers are required by law to follow the same licensing conditions as taxi drivers, the Transport Ministry announced yesterday, 11 July
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the implementation will kick off today, 12 July, as the ministry is hoping to provide a level playing field for the taxi industry and e-hailing operators, New Straits Times (NST) reported.
"To be fair to taxi drivers, the government will regulate e-hailing services through the Spad Act (2017 amendment) and Commercial Vehicle License Act (2017 amendment) from 12 July," Loke said.
Loke added the e-hailing industry will be given a one-year grace period from the date of enforcement to comply with these rules.
These are the set of regulations that e-hailing operators need to comply with:
Registering companies or cooperatives with the Companies Commission (SSM) or Cooperatives Commission (SKM) and undergoing inspections for vehicles over three years old at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom).
Furthermore, theSun said drivers must obtain private service vehicle (PSV) licenses and subject to background screenings and medical checkups, as well as undergo a special six-hour driving training module at driving school or companies accredited by the Land Transport Agency (SPAD) for a fee of RM200 per person.
The government has also decided to cap commission rates for both taxi and e-hailing drivers
"Maximum commission rate of 10% has been set for e-hailing service that is run by taxi drivers and 20% for services run by personal vehicle drivers.
"The surcharge rate is also limited to two times of the fare price," the Seremban MP told reporters after yesterday's meeting with the ministry.
Cabbies looking to join the e-hailing industry will be given a RM5,000 incentive by the government to purchase new vehicles, the same grant will be given to cabbies whose lease permits with taxi companies have ended.
Citing a recent incident involving the murder of a Grab driver, Loke said e-hailing applications must be installed with emergency call buttons for the safety of passengers and drivers
On top of that, passengers also need to upload their identity card or passport information on e-hailing apps in order to be verified, Malaysiakini wrote.
Addressing concerns over data leakage, Loke, as quoted by Sin Chew, said he had warned those in the e-hailing industry not to abuse all given information.
In a press release, Grab said it is currently in talks with the government to have a better understanding of the regulations
"We will assist our driver-partners through this transition and keep them updated on any developments, as it does affect their welfare and livelihood."
"Given that we are doing everything in our efforts, we urge our driver-partners to bear with us as we engage with our government to better understand the regulations and work out the best solutions that will minimise the impact on them," said Sean Goh, Country Head Of Grab Malaysia.