No roadblock problems for e-hailing drivers

PETALING JAYA: E-hailing drivers have not encountered problems going through roadblocks during the lockdown, says Malaysia E-hailing Drivers Association (Mehda) president Daryl Chong.

However, he said drivers needed to have valid insurance, an active e-hailing app and travel permission for passengers crossing districts and states.

“We gathered all the e-hailing operators’ ministry approval letters and furnished them for drivers to download them from Mehda’s Facebook page.

“It is always better to be prepared to ensure our passengers’ journeys are not affected, ” he said.

He said drivers must not misunderstand the approval letter as a free pass for them to cross states freely, which is not the case at all.

Chong also lauded the one-off RM500 cash aid for e-hailing drivers that was announced in the government’s Pemerkasa Plus aid programme.

However, he said there should be an effective channel for appeal to ensure deserving drivers get the aid.

“Previously, we came across many drivers who qualify but missed out following submission errors by their e-haling operators.

“Let’s hope that things will improve this time because there are many full-time drivers still struggling to make ends meet, ” he said.

All public transport services including taxis and e-hailing vehicles only need to produce a letter from the Transport Ministry as proof of permission to operate during the lockdown until June 28.

In a statement, the ministry said taxi drivers could obtain a letter of permission to operate from the Logistics Industry Information System at https://application.mot.gov.my.