PETALING JAYA: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has warned e-hailing companies that their operating licences would be revoked by the Land Public Transport Agency if they flout regulations pertaining to their permits.
His warning comes amid public complaints and the agency’s ongoing investigation over the price bidding system used by certain e-hailing service providers.
“In May, I instructed the Land Public Transport Agency, which comes under my ministry, to investigate the price bidding system used by some e-hailing service providers as we have not approved such a system.
“So of course, if e-hailing companies violate their licence conditions, we can revoke their permits,” he said.
The bidding system used by some e-hailing companies allows passengers to bid on the fare initially set by the drivers. This has sparked complaints among users as they felt the system forces passengers to pay more, benefitting the drivers.
However, the bidding system is not the only complaint against e-hailing companies. The public has previously called for some drivers to be properly vetted before being allowed to work in the industry.
In an incident in June, an InDrive passenger complained to police that she was assaulted and dragged out of the car by the driver who was harassing her.
The driver was later charged under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, and was fined RM2,000 by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 19.
Brickfields police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood said in the June 13 incident, the victim had reported being assaulted with a metal flask, being forcibly dragged out of the car by her hand and leg and abandoned on a highway.
After lodging her police report, the victim, known only as Maya, complained on social media that the InDrive driver became verbally abusive and blasted loud music in the car to intimidate her after she requested that he use a non-toll route.
Maya said the situation became worse after she reported the incident via the InDrive app, which prompted a notification to be sent directly to the driver.
“He then stopped the car abruptly on the highway, dragged me out, and threw a metal flask at me,” she said.
Over the years, many other incidents have been reported regarding misconduct by e-hailing drivers. In one incident, a driver assaulted a teenage passenger, breaking her nose.
Selangor CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said: “At one point during the ride, a quarrel ensued and the driver is believed to have assaulted the 17-year-old student, breaking her nose. The 30-year-old driver was arrested later.”
In another incident, a pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage after she was allegedly robbed by an e-hailing driver and his accomplice when she boarded his car from Kuala Lumpur to her home in Puchong.
The driver, who has a criminal record, was arrested in Johor three days later, prompting public demands to know how a person with a criminal record could become an e-hailing driver and what vetting system was used by the company.
Regular e-hailing passengers told theSun that Loke’s warning to e-hailing companies that their operating licences would be revoked if they flouted regulations pertaining to their permits is good but is still short.
“I have been in situations in which the driver has been cheeky and made sex jokes which made me very uncomfortable. Such drivers should be banned from working for e-hailing companies,” said Aishah Mamat, 28, who works as a receptionist.
Hong Phaik See, 32, said she too faced a similar situation when the driver pestered her for her mobile number.
“I am not keen to converse with the drivers as I just want to reach my destination, but some of them are a nuisance. E-hailing cars must have in-car cameras to record each drive. This will offer passengers some protection if a complaint is made,” she said.
