PUTRAJAYA, Aug 8 — P-hailing riders will be required to obtain the Goods Driving Licence (GDL) once three pieces of legislation are amended to provide for proper supervision of the p-hailing service in the country, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.

He said the Cabinet meeting on Friday had agreed to amend the Road Transport Act 1987 [Act 333], Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 [Act 334] and Land Public Transport Act 2010 [Act 715] for this purpose.

“The amendments are for purposes of supervision and setting regulations, and the views of various parties of interest will be taken into account,” he told a press conference after holding a dialogue with representatives of e-hailing and p-hailing associations here today.

Wee said the three bills to amend these acts would be tabled for debate and approval at the next Parliament meeting.

He said the requirement for possessing the GDL was not meant to burden delivery riders but to enable the Transport Ministry (MOT) to keep track of their numbers.

“Apart from this, p-hailing riders with GDL will be given driving courses because there are complaints that they do not abide by traffic laws. Through GDL, we will know who are those working in the p-hailing service and their behaviour,” he said.

Wee said the amendments would also involve lowering the eligible age for obtaining GDL to not less than 18 from the current 21 years.

“The amendments on age eligibility will enable Keluarga Malaysia to work as a p-hailing rider earlier,” he said.

He said MOT and its agencies would monitor the p-hailing service to ensure this sector could remain competitive in the long term.

“The supervision is also to protect the welfare of riders or drivers of the vehicles involved,” he said, adding that the terms would include the requirement to have insurance protection for riders.

On today’s dialogue, Wee said e-hailing operators had been asked to hold more meetings with p-hailing riders to avoid issues like riders going on strike because of dissatisfaction over payments.

Earlier, posters with the words “Off 1 Hari” and “Food Delivery Blackout Jumaat 5 Ogos 2022” had gone viral on social media, followed by a message to boycot the delivery service last Friday. — Bernama

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