Transport Ministry to draw up 'best mechanism' for taxis, Uber, GrabCar

The Transport Ministry is drawing up a mechanism that would best allow online public transport service operators, Uber and GrabCar to operate on the same platform with taxi service operators.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said issues pertaining to Uber and Grabcar were being studied, including whether drivers should be compelled to register and required to have a public service vehicle (PSV) licence.

He said the ministry was also considering certain flexibilities for taxi drivers including for the periodic inspection procedure at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) to be done only after every six months.

"The government hopes to resolve the issues pertaining to Uber and GrabCar as soon as possible," Liow told the media after a Driving Institute Excellence Awards 2016 ceremony, Saturday.

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On March 29, certain main routes in the city were jammed with hundreds of taxi drivers staging a protest against Uber and GrabCar for allegedly trimming their earnings.