Move to legalise e-hailing service good for drivers - Grab Malaysia

The government's move to legalise e-hailing service would be good for the drivers, said Grab Malaysia Country Head, Sean Goh.

He said although the legalisation of the service would take some time, the industry was not in hurry to get it done.

"We are actually more concerned about ensuring that the regulations are good and beneficial for everyone," he told reporters after the launch of 'OpenTraffic Platform' here today.

The laws have been tabled in Parliament to regulate e-hailing services while protecting the drivers from being harassed and assaulted in the future.

It was reported that the government is seeking to introduce an intermediation business licence, following amendments to the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 and the Land Public Transport Act 2010, to legalise e-hailing service as a public vehicle.

Goh said the government has recognised the importance of ride-hailing as an industry and how it would complement the existing transportation infrastructure.

"We will continue to work closely with the Land Public Transport Commission and the government on this matter," he said.

Meanwhile, on the 'OpenTraffic Platform', Goh said, the platform, provided real-time traffic updates, using Grab's global positioning system data to address traffic congestion and improve road safety in major cities in Malaysia.

"Currently, it is opened to local government agencies," he said.

The platform would be open for the public later in September, he said.

Grab and Malaysia Digital Economy Corp Sdn Bhd, together with the World Bank, launched the OpenTraffic initiative in Malaysia here today.

Malaysia is the second country to gain access to the OpenTraffic platform, with the Philippines the first when it was launched in April 2016. -- Bernama