SUBANG – The Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) has a right to revoke the operating licences of e-hailing companies if they flout regulations which come with the permits, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said this when questioned by the media during a press conference at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport here today.
“Of course, that goes without saying. If (e-hailing companies) violated any conditions (for their licences), we can revoke their permits.”
In May, Loke said Apad, an agency under his ministry, was instructed to investigate the price bidding system used by certain e-hailing service providers as the ministry has never allowed such a system.
It is understood that Apad’s investigation is ongoing.
Some e-hailing companies use a bidding system whereby customers are allowed to bid on the fare initially set by the drivers.
The system has raised concern among users as it appears to compel passengers to pay higher prices for the drivers’ benefit.
Last month, an e-hailing driver was arrested and charged after he assaulted and dragged a female passenger out of his car.
He was 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, said Brickfields police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood.
The victim had complained on social media after lodging a police report on how she was assaulted with a metal bottle, forcibly dragged out of the car and abandoned by the e-hailing driver on the highway during the June 13 incident.
According to the victim, known only as Maya, the suspect became verbally abusive and blasted loud music in the car to intimidate her after she requested for the inDrive driver to use a non-toll route.
The situation escalated after the victim reported the incident via inDrive’s app and a notification was sent directly to the driver. He then abruptly stopped the car on the highway, forced the victim out, and threw a metal flask at her.
InDrive had acknowledged the incident and expressed intent to improve safety measures.
The e-hailing platform added that drivers are independent contractors who are not directly employed by the company. – July 30, 2024