Liow: We can act against Dego Ride

KUALA LUMPUR: Legal action can be taken against unlicensed motorcycle taxi service provider Dego Ride if it does not cease operation, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“You need a licence if it involves public safety. When you start charging fees, it’s a public taxi, and we can regulate public taxis,” he told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year open house at SMJK Chong Hwa.

He was responding to Dego Ride founder and chief executive officer Nabil Feisal Bamadhaj’s recent claim that the company does not need a licence from the Transport Ministry to operate.

Nabil had said that his company would continue to operate as there are no laws preventing it from doing so.

Dego Ride was declared illegal by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi on Jan 24.

On Saturday, Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Nadzri Siron advised the public against using the service until it secures a permit from the Land Public Transport Commission.

Liow said he has received many calls from non-governmental organisations concerned with the safety of Dego Ride’s service.

“We’re worried it can lead to more accidents in the country.

“The higher the number of vehicles we have on the road, the higher the probability of road accidents,” he said.

The Government has been taking steps to improve public transportation service to resolve traffic jams, he said.

If Dego Ride presented a proposal to the Transport Ministry to legalise its operation, the ministry would look into it, but as of now, it is an illegal service, said Liow.

He presented a cheque for RM200,000 to SMJK Chong Hwa and RM1mil to Chong Hwa Independent School during the event.

The open house was organised by Federal Territory MCA and Wangsa Maju MCA.

Also present were Federal Territory MCA chairman Datuk Yew Teong Look and chairman of the board of directors for Chong Hwa Independent High School Datuk Seri Lim Keng Cheng.