Worry about safety of service

PETALING JAYA: Despite the potential benefits that motorcycle-based e-hailing service might bring to Malaysians, non-governmental organisations are concerned about safety as motorcycles make up the highest number of road accidents in the country.

National Road Safety Council member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said while the service would provide jobs, serious consideration must be given towards the safety aspects of the e-hailing motorcyclists.

“I don’t know how the authorities are going to do this because commuting accidents in our country are very serious.

“I think this has to be studied carefully, particularly on how they could minimise the accidents and provide a safe means of transport for the public,” he said yesterday.

Police statistics show that about 6,000 to 7,000 people die on roads every year.

“Motorcyclists made up almost 60% of accidents on the road. The Road Safety Department’s 2018 statistics revealed that motorcyclists and their pillion riders contributed 60% of 6,742 traffic accident cases,” he said.

Malaysian E-hailing Drivers Association president Daryl Chong said he was concerned about the roads, whether they were adequate enough to cater to the influx of motorcycles.

Chong noted that motorcycle taxis would result in the “cannibalisation of e-hailing driver’s income”.

He said the fare charged by Indonesian e-hailing company Gojek would probably be half the rate of Grab.

“Let’s say you want to go home from the MRT station which is like five to 10 minutes away. If you call a Grab, it will cost you RM5 and if you call a Gojek, it will most probably cost you half the fare.