E-hailing drivers deserve BKSS 3.0 aid as much as cabbies, chartered van drivers

KUCHING: The state government should extend the Sarawakku Sayang Special Aid (BKSS) 3.0 to registered e-hailing drivers, who are suffering from drastic income reduction due to prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO), necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii welcomes the announcement of BKSS 3.0 by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, in which it includes a special oneoff payment of RM600 each for taxi and van drivers in Sarawak.

However, he believes that such assistance should also extended to the e-hailing operators in that they are also a part of the tourism ecosystem, which suffers from various circumstances brought about by the pandemic and the prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

“Under new regulations, ehailing drivers are also required to obtain proper insurance, licensing and even examinations, similar to those that taxi operators must take. Due to the lack of public transportation in our city, a huge majority of tourists use e-hailing services to get around, including to go to tourist spots in our state.

“That’s why I feel that they (ehailing drivers) should also be afforded this incentive as they are also part of the whole tourism ecosystem, and play an important role in advancing our tourism industry,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Yii also viewed the incentives given to the Immigration officers under BKSS 3.0 as ‘a good thing to acknowledge their hard work during the pandemic’.