Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board extends it from 15 years to 18 years

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SANDAKAN: The Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) agreed to extend the age limit for taxis throughout the state from 15 years to 18 years, effective immediately.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong, who made the announcement yesterday, said the extension of the age limit would benefit a total of 2,690 taxis and airport taxis in this state.

The number includes 800 taxis and 151 airport taxis in Kota Kinabalu, 1,010 taxis and 45 airport taxis in Tawau and 684 taxis in Sandakan.

“After reviewing the memorandum presented by the taxi associations, we agreed to raise the age limit from 15 years to 18 years.

“This decision was made after taking into account the kilometre count in Sabah, which is substantially lower than those from the peninsula.

“This advanced age limit is expected to assist taxi operators to seek additional income to replace their existing vehicle for a period of three years,” he said when presenting taxi tyre subsidy, Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1MA) here yesterday. Also present was Sabah CVLB chairman Datuk Teo Chee Kang.

The 198 taxi drivers in this district can redeem the RM520 tyre subsidy at three authorised tyre shops in this area.

Liew, who is also the member of parliament for Sandakan, also announced that taxi operators in this area could now operate to all parts of Sandakan, including Telupid and Kinabatangan.

“However, taxi drivers can only send passengers to the area, not fetching them from the area so as not to affect other car rental services.

Liew also announced several other matters such as the delay in implementation of metered taxis in Sandakan town and the New Taxi Loan Scheme.

Meanwhile, Bumiputera Taxi and Car Rental Association chairman A.Rahman Harry Diong was grateful with the TR1MA as it would ease the burden of cabbies.

“In my association alone, 184 members received the subsidy during the first distribution, while the other 13 were from Chinese Taxi Association.

“We sent in more than 200 applications but only 184 were eligible. I believe the subsidy will be extended to all cabbies based on their eligibility,” he said, urging those who had not received the subsidy to be patient.

Rahman also hoped the government would consider extending the fuel subsidy to cabbies as received by fishermen.

“Like fishermen, cabbies also do not earn much and we have to deal with car maintenance, so with the fuel subsidy, it certainly would be better,” he added.

Taxi driver Salleh Bin Jaafar said: “We have heard how TR1MA had benefited cabbies in other places, and when we received it yesterday, it was like a dream come true.”

Being a taxi driver for 33 years, he was happy with the initiative taken by the government to ease the burden of low-income earners.

“With this TR1MA, it surely can reduce my expenses, especially in replacing my taxi tyres which normally would be replaced every nine months to a year.

“Cabbies do not earn much nowadays as we have to compete with illegal or taxi ‘sapu’ operators. Sometimes I only bring home RM20 to RM30 a day, so with this TR1MA, it would really ease my burden,” said the 33-year-old cabbie.

Liew also handed out 200 national flags during the ceremony to taxi drivers in conjunction with the independence month.