KUCHING: The new e-hailing regulations will come into effect from this coming Friday (July 12) following the application process for the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence that kick-started in April this year.
Racing against time, the e-hailing industry and over 200,000 driver-partners have been working diligently over the past three months to get greater clarity so as to comply with the regulatory requirements, said Grab Malaysia in a press statement yesterday.
Last month, the government gave the approval for e-hailing operators to develop and run e-PSV training to expedite the application process. The ease of digital training has since attracted almost 20 per cent of Grab’s active driver-partners to complete their e-PSV training within just four weeks. Many are currently either waiting eagerly for their examination results in order to obtain the licence, or are awaiting their opportunity to go through the examinations.
“Grab has been and will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Transport, JPJ, APAD and Puspakom to help as many driver-partners as possible cross the finishing line by July 12, including co-organising mass examinations. We strive to #LeaveNoOneBehind, especially the many driver-partners who depend on ride-hailing for their families’ livelihood. Please refer to the Appendix for the subsidy package that Grab has offered to our driver-partners to help minimise their cost burden,” the company said.
“Despite our joint efforts, as of today four days away from the deadline, only 10 per cent of our active driver-partners have successfully obtained their PSV licence. While we have been trying our very best to support our driver-partners to obtain the PSV licence, we have heard from some of them, especially the part-timers, that they are reconsidering whether to continue driving.”
Their concerns include finding time to complete the process within the limited timeframe while juggling a full-time job and difficulty in navigating through the application process across various authorities, the company added.
“Each day, our active driver-partners in full force serve one million ride bookings. On average, a passenger can get his or her ride within six minutes. Unfortunately, this may change post-July 12. We anticipate a reduction of driver-partners active on the roads. With fewer driver-partners on the roads to serve an ever-increasing demand for ride-hailing, consumers will feel the pinch of longer waiting time, especially during peak hours and rainy days. The looming prospect of customers being stranded on the roads upsets us, as Grab has always strived to out-serve our customers and driver-partners,” the company conceded.
“While we tide through these challenging times together, we advise passengers to pre-plan their travel during this period. Book earlier than usual. Book your ride earlier and be ready when the driver arrives, especially if you have a flight to catch or need to get to an important meeting. Please do not cancel a ride if you manage to get one even though the waiting time may seem unusually long,” Grab Malaysia said.
Getting a ride is much easier outside peak hours of 7am to 9am and 5pm to 8pm, the company pointed out.
“We hope that this imbalance in supply and demand will be transient. We commit to continue working closely with the authorities to clear the obstacles for our driver-partners, so that many more can continue to earn an income via ride-hailing and serve the daily commuting needs of everyone.”
Grab Malaysia said it is committed to supporting the Malaysian government in delivering some of their key promises to the people, such as improving the quality and coverage of public transportation while keeping the cost affordable and improving the income of its e-hailing drivers.
For more information on the e-hailing regulations members of the public are advised to visit https://www.grab.com/my/blog/e-hailing-regulations/