E-PSV COURSE GOES ONLINE
E-hailing drivers don’t have to spend six hours in the classroom, says transport minister
E-HAILING drivers now can take the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence course online instead of spending six hours at driving schools to fulfil the requirement for them to continue their service.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the move to offer the e-PSV course was made after a discussion with e-hailing operators, which included Grab, recently.
“The ministry briefed e-hailing operators so that they can accept e-PSV. E-hailing drivers do not need to attend the PSV class.
“They don’t have to spend six hours in the classroom. They can do it at any time they want.
“As long as they go through the course
electronically and sit the one-hour exam, it’s fine,” he said after launching Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd’s MyRailtime mobile application at KL Sentral here yesterday.
Loke’s announcement follows concerns raised by e-hailing drivers about the licence in the past week.
On Tuesday, Grab Drivers Malaysia Association president Arif Asyraf Ali urged the government to extend the deadline for drivers to obtain the PSV licence.
E-hailing drivers claimed that the time allocated by the government for 200,000 of them to apply for the licence was too short as the module was only introduced on April 1.
They said driving schools were unable to accommodate a high number of applicants as only one training session for 50 participants was conducted a week.
Others were up in arms about the high failure rate for the PSV test as most of the questions did not reflect the learning module. They claimed that some driving schools had exceeded the RM220 ceiling for the course fee.
On whether the e-PSV course would cost extra money, Loke said it depended on each e-hailing operator.
“If e-hailing operators give it free to their drivers, that is their business,” he said, adding that the ministry was willing to help operators who faced logistical problems in ensuring their drivers take the PSV test.
“Since they (operators) know where their drivers are based, we can arrange for the test to be conducted in the exact location. We can send our Road Transport Department officers there.”
Loke said some people tried to ensure that the regulation was a failure. He urged e-hailing drivers to cooperate with the ministry for everyone’s benefit.
When contacted by the New Straits
Times, Arif lauded the ministry’s move to provide the e-PSV course.
“As drivers, we are happy with the news. Making it (the course) available online is easier and we hope it will be more cost effective.
“We can take the course anywhere and anytime. Drivers are well versed about online transactions, anyway.”
Arif, however, reiterated his previous plea for the government to extend the July 12 deadline for e-hailing drivers to obtain the licence.
“We also suggested for a longer test period. Currently, a PSV test is conducted for 60 minutes for 60 questions. Drivers should be given an extra 30 minutes as it will boost their chances of passing the test.”