KUALA LUMPUR:Taxis, rented cars and e-hailing services are allowed to fully operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) but they must ensure that their passengers have the necessary approval before crossing districts or state borders.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the government had not restricted or issued any directive to stop or prohibit public transport services including taxi, car rental, and e-hailing services, from operating inter-district or inter-state during the MCO.

During the MCO, he said these services are allowed to operate fully as they fall under essential services category and allowed to cross districts and state borders as permitted under the commercial vehicles category.

"It must be stressed that crossing district or state borders must take into consideration that only passengers with the necessary approvals are allowed to travel," he said in a statement today, adding that the implementation of MCO was to control the movement of people, including drivers and passengers.

Therefore, he said taxis, rented cars, and e-hailing services must ensure that their passengers have the necessary approval to prove their need to travel under the permitted scope before crossing districts or state borders.

“Taxi, car-rental, and e-hailing drivers must carry a copy of the proper documents, be it in hardcopy or softcopy, as proof for drivers to use after dropping off their passengers to a destination across district or state borders.

"This is to prevent irresponsible parties from attempting to violate the MCO by crossing borders for reasons that are not permitted, taking advantage of the allowance given to public transport services to operate inter-state," he said.

-- BERNAMA