UBER, GRAB
Bill seeks to make e-hailing vehicles subject to business licence
KUALA LUMPUR
E-HAILING services such as Uber and Grab are set to be given legal recognition soon as a mode of public transportation. This followed the tabling of the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) Bill for its first reading in Parliament yesterday by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
The amendments to the bill seeks to amend Clause 4, which seeks to provide that an e-hailing vehicle shall be a public service vehicle subject to an intermediation business licence.
The bill also seeks to insert the definition of “e-hailing” as a motor vehicle with a seating capacity of four people and not more than 11 people, including the driver.
It also defines e-hailing as a vehicle used for the carriage of persons on any journey in consideration of a single or separate fares for each of them, in which the arrangement, booking or transaction, and the fare for such journey are facilitated through an electronic mobile application.
Peninsular Bumiputera Taxi Operators Association president Datuk Mohd Alias Abdul, while supporting the government’s decision, said he was worried about taxi drivers’ future as the competition would affect their livelihood.
“Customers prefer cheaper, faster and more advanced services which taxi drivers cannot compete with. While they improve the public transportation industry, the e-hailing (service) must be governed by the rules of the Public Land Transport Commission. Otherwise, they will be free to do as they please,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Commuter Nur Akmalina Md Din said the government’s decision was a good move, but added that grey areas should be cleared up.
Haslin Elyana Roslani said there were reasons why commuters chose e-hailing service over taxis, especially in terms of fare.
“Taxis use meters but during rush hour, drivers would put their own flat rates while with Grab, the fares are determined by the system,” she said.