Tour bus e-hailing service for VMY2020
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is heartened by the statement made by Transport Minister Anthony Loke that the government supports the concept proposed by MATTA to optimise usage by including tour buses into e-hailing services.
Loke in his statement mentioned that the government views this as a constructive idea from MATTA and is ready to assist in various aspects such as amending regulations but the application must be developed by industry players or the private sector.
“We are in full agreement with the minister and in fact MATTA had started working with several e-hailing operators. The initiative culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with four e-hailing operators on July 12 and issuing our press statement ‘MATTA Moves to EHailing Platform.
“Perhaps then we were a little ahead of our time but with the announcement made yesterday, we hope to roll out the e-hailing service for tour buses in time for the start of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2020. In the transport industry, tour buses and taxis incur dead mileage whenever doing empty runs, such as on the way to the airport to pick up passengers or after dropping them off,” said MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang in a statement yesterday.
He explained that without increasing running costs, the tour bus could generate additional revenue by picking up a group of passengers making a booking using an e-hailing app.
The pickup points can be anywhere such as the airport, a hotel, office, and at various attractions except bus stations so as not to encroach into express bus service.
MATTA also supports the other measures mentioned by Loke such as using videos to promote safety and remind passengers to fasten seat belts while the tour bus is on the move.
Likewise, MATTA members that operate tour buses will be reminded that the emergency door must be tested that it can be opened from inside and at least one serviceable fire extinguisher is within easy reach of the driver, he stressed.
“With this new direction and measures, we are looking forward to more efficient and safer tour bus operations in the country. We will continue working with the Government and other stakeholders to upgrade all categories of tourism vehicles, such as making luxury buses and vans accessible and affordable to tourism transport operators in Malaysia”, concluded Tan.