Resolve e-hailing policy issues

JPJ and Transport Ministry not on the same page, says former SPAD officer

KUALA LUMPUR: The inconsistencies between the policies made by the Transport Ministry and Road Transport Department (JPJ) have to be resolved, says a former senior officer of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, who was SPAD’s group operation head of policy and planning, said the reason for the contradiction was not addressed by the minister Anthony Loke.

“Is JPJ not listening to the minister’s instruction, which is supposed to be the policy? Or if the minister is not well briefed by JPJ?” he said at a press conference yesterday.

On Monday, the Malaysia E-Hailing Drivers Association (MeHDA) said a meeting between the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), JPJ and e-hailing operators last Friday stated that drivers were now required to have a physical e-hailing vehicle permit (eVP) and to convert their vehicle category from individual private vehicle to e-hailing private vehicle (AH) if they wanted to be on the road beginning tomorrow.

However, Loke clarified that e-hailing drivers did not need to convert their vehicle status into e-hailing private vehicles (AH).

Loke said that the AH code would only be reflected in JPJ’s MySIKAP system, adding that it was also not compulsory for e-hailing drivers to print out their eVP.

Loke also reassured drivers that JPJ would not go after every vehicle on Oct 12 as enforcement would be done in stages.

Wan Agyl, who is Umno Youth strategic director, said he felt that Loke failed to understand the real problem, adding that the problem was with JPJ when it introduced new last-minute regulations.

He said the government needed to fix the implementation problems at the JPJ level for e-hailing drivers to obtain their Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence.

He also questioned the government’s inability to issue PSV licences digitally, adding that eVPs, too, should be digitalised as people were now moving towards the digitalisation of transportation services.

He also called for JPJ to be transformed and reformed considering the issues that have arisen from it.