PUTRAJAYA: The proposed Special Vocational Licence for p-hailing service providers is not the same as the Goods Delivering Licence (GDL), said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

"I can assure that the vocational licence will not be the same as GDL which involves four-wheel vehicles or vehicles used for delivering goods," he said when clearing the air over the confusing regarding the conditions to have a vocational licence for p-hailing riders.

Wee said the process involved in the licencing procedures for GDL was very stringent and aspiring riders who applied for the licence need to undergo a special course at driving schools or institutions compared with the procedures for vocational licence.

"Those who apply for the vocational licence to become p-hailing riders need not go to driving schools or institutions but only be required to attend a three-hour induction course that will be conducted online," he said.

P-hailing riders who will be charged a sum of not more than RM10 to register the licence will also not have to attend scheduled inspection at Puspakom like what is done for commercial vehicles, because sending goods via motorcycles is done on a small scale.

"When we register them, they will receive moratorium and need not pay for a year. Through the process we will have the data of all p-hailing riders," said Wee who also refuted claims that the introduction of the licence will become a burden.

Wee said the vocational licence was proposed to provide a form of recognition to p-hailing riders while the Transport Ministry will have record of the number of p-hailing riders to provide service to the community.

On Aug 8, Wee had said the cabinet had agreed to amend provisions in the Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), Commercial Vehicles Licencing Board Act 1987 (Act 334) and the Land Public Transport Act 2010 (Act 715).

Wee said the Transport Ministry was alarmed and concerned when the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) submitted a report involving research on the behaviour of p-hailing riders that showed 62 percent of the 16,308 p-hailing riders stopping at the yellow box or pedestrian crosssings.

The research done through Closed Circuit TV recordings on 11 roads in Kuala Lumpur showed 14 percent of the riders were on their handphone and beat traffic lights and made illegal 'U' turns while three percent rode against traffic flow.

-- BERNAMA