Nancy to prepare proposal to extend TITP to Sarawak, Sabah

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Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri

KUCHING: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri will prepare a paper for the federal cabinet, proposing the extension of Taxi Industry Transformation Plan (TITP) to Sarawak and Sabah.

She said there are 11 initiatives under the TITP which are greatly benefitting taxi drivers. Presently, however, it is only implemented in Peninsular Malaysia.

“Taxi drivers do not have any holidays. They are not covered by insurance. TITP will allow them to be covered under Socso, where from July 1 onward, it will be compulsory for them to contribute RM170 for their Socso.

“But again as TITP only covers Peninsular Malaysia presently, we need to get cabinet approval before taxi drivers in Sarawak and Sabah can enjoy these benefits,” Nancy told The Borneo Post when met at the Hari Raya open house of Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and Small Medium Enterprise Development Datuk Naroden Majais on Wednesday evening.

On the tension between conventional taxi drivers and e-hailing services, Nancy, who is minister in charge of Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), acknowledged that e-hailing services in Malaysian was still at a teething stage and said she would put in effort to ensure that the resentment would end in a win-win situation.

With the government most willing to be of assistance to help taxi drivers’ transition from traditional operation to the new e-hailing service, Nancy said she was confident of achieving a final result.

“Not all taxi drivers are against e-hailing. There are some working for leasing companies in Peninsular Malaysia who are willing to go solo. However, due to the lack of funds to purchase their own vehicles, bankruptcy or failure to secure loans, they have been unable to do so.

“Under TITP, these taxi drivers would be given a grant of RM5,000 for them to buy a car where they can start to be part of e-hailing services. And as it is a grant, they do not have to pay back,” she said.

In view that TITP can bring many benefits to the taxi drivers, the Batang Sadong MP is determined to work hard to get it extended to Sarawak and Sabah.

“As Sarawak has its own LPKP (Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board) and not under SPAD, we have to get the approval of the cabinet to extend it over to Sarawak,” added Nancy.

She said to ensure the safety of the passengers of e-hailing service in Sarawak, the new requirements of submitting e-hailing drivers’ background to law enforcement agencies and the addition of panic button in e-hailing application would also be implemented in the state.

“Their implementation does not require an amendment to the Land Public Transport Act (APAD). So it can be done now.”

She said both e-hailing service providers in Malaysia — Uber and GrabCar — had agreed to the government’s requests.

“All these measures are taken to ensure the safety of the passengers of e-hailing.  Uber and Grab have no problem in meeting with these requirements,” said Nancy.