PETALING JAYA: E-hailing companies and drivers are calling on the authorities to make it mandatory to instal dashcams to provide evidence in cases of criminal activities.
In a recent incident, a teenager was caught on video allegedly trying to stab a 65-year-old e-hailing driver but failed to injure him.
The teenager was later arrested by police.
While dashcam footages helped capture evidence of criminal and traffic offenders, it is still not mandatory to instal such devices in private or public vehicles.
E-hailing service myAider founder and CEO Steven Lee said since 2019, the Malaysia E-hailing Drivers Association has called on the government to make dashcams mandatory for e-hailing drivers.
“A dashcam should be made compulsory for all e-hailing vehicles. It is helpful in a lot of crash investigations by police and insurance adjusters.
“The footage acquired from the dashcam would prove useful when providing evidence in court. It could also prove the innocence of those who are wrongly accused.”
Lee said making dashcams compulsory could be a challenge, especially for those in lower income groups, adding that dashcams should be subsidised by the government if they were to be made mandatory.
“Drivers have to cover the cost of vehicle rentals and maintenance. Therefore, they would be reluctant to spend more money to purchase a dashcam.
“Companies should also collaborate with dashcam companies to acquire the devices at lower prices.”
Lee said many other measures could be added to improve the safety of drivers and passengers.
“E-hailing companies should verify the passenger profile before permitting the use of their services. Passengers should only be allowed to book a ride after the front and back of their identity card has been uploaded into the system.
“Another safety feature that should be compulsory is the Emergency Call button. By pressing the button, individuals will be directed to the Malaysian Emergency Response Services 999 (MERS 999) or emergency contact of their family members.”
On privacy concerns raised over the use of dashcams, Lee said as a public transportation provider, safety takes priority over privacy.
E-hailing driver Nick Yee agrees that dashcams should be made mandatory.
In an incident before installing a dashcam, he said his vehicle was hit from behind but he was fortunate that the offender admitted it was his fault.
“I believe dashcams are indispensable because they provide evidence in the event of a road crash.
“The dashcam should be installed to record the exterior and interior view of a vehicle.”
Yee said he has concerns over privacy regarding the use of dashcams but believes that safety comes first.
“Some people would not want to be recorded but it is necessary in the case of e-hailing services, as long as it is not misused.
“The camera should be positioned to make the driver and passenger feel comfortable.”
In addition to dashcams, Yee said other measures that could be considered to improve driver safety is the addition of a partition between the front and rear seats.
“Vehicle partitions are not mandatory but certain drivers could consider adding it for increased security.”
