Transport ministry working on nationwide integrated transport policy - Wee

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said all national policies were inclusive throughout the country, and the ministry had always encouraged coordination between different regulatory bodies that operate in the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

"In fact, we are planning to better integrate our existing information systems throughout Malaysia. Whatever transport policies were made, if it's for the nation...it means that no one is left behind," he said during a press conference after launching the TREVO Lighthouse Activation Centre in Bangsar here today.

Also present were SOCAR Mobility Malaysia chief executive officer Leon Foong and TREVO general manager Susan Teoh.

TREVO, a SOCAR Mobility Malaysia subsidiary, an a peer-to-peer (P2P) car-sharing marketplace that enables drivers to book a vehicle from car owners who have signed up with the service.

At the same event, Wee also launched the first phase of TREVO's Proof of Concept (POC) exercise involving investments worth RM2 million.

Through the programme, TREVO will provide RM200 in financial aid to the first 10,000 hosts in the Klang Valley, Penang and Kota Kinabalu who sign up with TREVO and make their cars available for other TREVO members to book for at least 14 days each month.

In lauding TREVO's initiative, Wee said that the sharing economy held great promise for Malaysians, which could give some relief to those who would benefit from the extra income.

He said the initiative was a timely move, because more Malaysians would face pressure in servicing their hire purchase loans as more cars sat idle due to people working from home and reduced working hours.

"This is very timely, as we see that the unemployment rate in July 2020 stood at 4.7 per cent, with 745,100 people out of work, compared to 3.2 per cent unemployment in January 2020, with 511,700 people out of work," he said.

Wee also encouraged more industry players to leverage public-private partnerships to scale up the P2P car-sharing economy in Malaysia.

For instance, he said the RM2 million investment could potentially generate more than RM90mil in annual income for the 10,000 Malaysians who participate in the programme.