SPAD to abolish Public Service Vehicle (PSV) license?

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The Public Service Vehicle (PSV) license may become history for cabbies early next year, The Sun reports. This means that anyone who wants to drive a conventional taxi or Uber/Grab car may soon need just a valid driving license and a registration with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), with no need to sit for the PSV license test.

Currently, Malaysians above 21 and with a valid driving licence have to apply for a PSV licence from JPJ before they can drive a bus or taxi. The free daily learned that SPAD has proposed to abolish the PSV licence only for taxi and app-based e-hailing drivers, and will replace it with a SPAD driver’s card system. Training, if any, will be provided in-house by the taxi or app companies.

This proposal is among 11 points under the e-hailing and transformation for taxi industry models being considered by the Cabinet, which includes the legalisation and regulation of Uber/Grab. It has received endorsement from the Special Economic Committee chaired by the PM three months ago, but needs parliament approval.

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Obviously, the driving school operators are unhappy, saying they may lose up to RM90 million annually. Malaysian Driving Industry Standards and Modernisation Council (Mapim) president Datuk Hanafi Mat Zin said they would oppose SPAD’s plan. “We have invested a lot in the infrastructure including improving the standard of facilitators for PSV learner drivers. Who will bear our losses?” he said.

A senior JPJ officer questioned SPAD’s capability to produce efficient e-hailing and taxi drivers. “If PSV is removed, then it is a step backwards. This will eliminate the professional enforcement,” he said, while raising doubts about SPAD’s ability to curb foreigners and those with bad traffic records from becoming cabbies.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai confirmed that the e-hailing working paper included the elimination of PSV. SPAD CEO Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah was not available for comment. The ‘e-hailing model’ touted by SPAD aims to legalise and regulate Uber and Grab drivers, creating a level playing field between them and taxi drivers. More on the plan here.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • More towards control rather than level playing field. SPAD is banging head against the walls now. Dont know how to deal with uber and grab

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 15
    • john is such a big troll.
      Why his comments always shows up and my comment never approved?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • ben yap on Jul 08, 2016 at 10:02 am

    to get PSV license and going through JPJ, one must give kopi money just like getting a car license.

    sure jpj will disapprove.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 9
  • Tun M kata “mana boleh macam ni! Kita mesti Save MY from this Najib liberalisation!”, “We must Citizen Declare that we will save all the taxi businesses!”

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 30
  • Susukotak on Jul 08, 2016 at 10:15 am

    1st step for extra income & next step for some 1 income?? Let see what insurer said.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • ” Who will bear our losses?”

    It better not be us taxpayers, you MOFO.

    Do you even understand what is a Business?

    If you open a doughnut shop, and people decide they no longer want doughnuts, and want cupcakes instead, you suck it up and re-plan your business.

    There’s no such thing as a 100% guaranteed no-losses business. Unless of course you are too comfortable being a crony, which is why you don’t even realize what you say is stupid and selfish to the needs of the greater public who want better and cheaper public transport with LEECHES like you.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 89 Thumb down 7
    • saladin on Jul 09, 2016 at 1:00 am

      Some of these driving school buy big lorries, jcb, and even busses for them to operate. If you stop psv then all their invesment is gone. It is democracy everyone has their rights. Dont just think about yourself in the pic. Or maybe ur life so miserable that u dont think for others

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 12
    • spot on. just spot on… bikin malu org melayu je. and i am org melayu

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • You are 100% right . Leeches thinking about robbing and not wanting to make things easier for the people. When are they going to realize?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Yokohama24 on Jul 08, 2016 at 10:20 am

    LOL! SPAD is already receiving enough heat from cabbies now they wanna step one another party’s foot, “Driving School”. Good luck SPAD!

    Anyhow, to me, if the enforcement is good then I will have no objections against the card system.

    But looking at our country’s culture, i close my eyes and say good luck to SPAD and all the best la!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 0
  • Well at least SPAD is doing something right.

    Removing the PSV, you will remove these driving school and JPJ money making schemes. Now its up to the taxi drivers to man up and be competitive.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Yokohama24 on Jul 08, 2016 at 10:41 am

    Taking away PSV will indirectly put UBER and GRAB drivers the same status as normal taxi drivers.

    I wonder taxi drivers who have a PSV licence undergone WHAT training from driving schools, is the training necessary? cause personally to me, I can see UBER/GRAB drivers (who are not trained) are doing a better job then “gangster taxi drivers” who have undergone training (again not referring to courteous and polite taxi drivers)in terms of customer service, politeness, passenger ride experience and car cleanliness and comfort.

    Hence the question is WHAT kind of training the driving schools provide? And is it effective and necessary?

    Anyhow trained or not trained, most importantly if SPAD’s enforcement is efficient and consistent, there should not be a problem in this ehailing and taxi industry.

    Whenever there’s an unworthy UBER/GRAB driver or “gangster” taxi driver, SPAD should take action immediately. Recall their “driver’s card” if they are unworthy drivers. This means proper report/complain system for passengers;)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • Yokohama24 on Jul 08, 2016 at 10:54 am

    If cabbies really want to compete with UBER/GRAB, I really think they should start using Touch n Go for payment process. No exchange of cash between passengers and drivers, which is one of the winning advantage for UBER GRAB services.

    By using Touch N Go the money will go directly to the company which also means the taxi METER MUST WORK in order to calculate the fare. If the meter spoils means the taxi should not be in service as easy as that. Hence will prevent taxi drivers from cheating the company and the passengers.

    Now tolls are shifting to a cashless system, i don’t see the hassle for taxi’s to go cashless too.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
    • Jomtaxi on Jul 09, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Yes under jomtaxi new taxi apps will br launching credit card and e-wallet for those without credit card. Which means now you can hail a cab without hard cash in hand

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • I support SPAD just as i support Proton. As you know, Uber and Grab are haram, only PERS1M is halal. I support every step of what my Gov do, they do it for the love of the rakyat

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • MotoMoto on Jul 08, 2016 at 11:35 am

    Eliminate proffesional enforcement ?
    Taxi drivers who have PSV LICENSE are the one rioting against UBER and they are the ones going against the law on the road. PSV license does not make a difference.
    Bad traffic records ?
    Looks like current taxi drivers who riot on road have several criminal records.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • orang biasa on Jul 08, 2016 at 11:59 am

    sure boh this can work? Let we wait and see how the progress is!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • gaviny on Jul 08, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    seems PSV is good at graduating gangsters only

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  • Hmm... Much Hmm... on Jul 08, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Indirectly they just admitted that they cant be bothered about re-working the older guidelines to modernize the rules. Typical Malaysia ‘build > ignore > dump > forget/hide’ culture.

    Here are some interesting study that made me lost hope on Malaysia’s future.
    The causes of corruption: A cross-national study – D Treisman
    Winter wakes up your mind and warm weather makes it harder to think straight – scientific american
    Cosmopolitanism and the banality of geographical evils – D Harvey
    Climate and Conflict – M. Burke, S. M. Hsiang, E. Miguel
    Hot climates may create sluggish economies – npr.org

    Basically the summary for those who are too lazy to research about it;

    Hot weather causes people to be lazier and violent than colder climate countries. This isn’t only due to the heat but the seasons, where they are wired to relax and let go because the lack of urgency to prepare for seasonal changes, that’s why most of us are keyboard warriors instead of actually doing something productive. It also explains why we like strong flavor food and drinks (Teh Tarik?).

    Then why Singapore is different? there’s a book that explains why – Singapore:The air-conditioned nation: Essays on the politics of comfort and control by C. George. Those who are too lazy to read, basically Mr Lee (Kwan Yew) explained: before air-con, people living in the tropics were at a disadvantage because the heat and humidity damaged the quality of their work. Now, they “need no longer lag behind”

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
  • Uber KL on Jul 08, 2016 at 3:04 pm

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    Syarat nak join, perlu ada lesen memandu kereta penuh (bukan P atau L)

    Warganegara Malaysia Berumur 21 keatas

    Mempunyai kereta 4 pintu,
    berusia kurang dari 8thn. (Utk UberX)

    Mpv 7-seater berusia kurang dari 6thn (utk UberXL)

    Atau kereta mewah D-segment kurang dari 5thn utk Uber Black

    (Kalau kereta bukan nama sendiri, sila request insurance company utk tambah nama anda sbg 2nd driver)

    Sila pastikan anda daftar di link yg betul ini https://partners.uber.com/i/daftaruberkl

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • Yokohama24 on Jul 08, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    does this Card system applies in Sabah and Sarawak? :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • “raising doubts about SPAD’s ability to curb foreigners and those with bad traffic records from becoming cabbies.”

    With the current system, aren’t they’re still lots of bad people that had become cabbies?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Bernard on Jul 08, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    There is always a win win situation . Ban taxis – win, promote uber/grab – win . See?

    Although uber grab not perfect but it’s a billion times better than the taxi service in bolehland.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • NothingMatter on Jul 09, 2016 at 10:29 am

    Simple question…who stands to gain from all this regulation?..

    Citizens, for fair and choice to choose?.

    Taxis, who does not buckle up their service standard but acts like some mafia?.

    or
    Gov, for profiting from everyone regardless who it is…as long as I get a “cut” making the “law”?.

    All too simple to answer when you know who is in power.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Uber and grab need not do compulsory puspakom inspection, psv license, can choose any car they want. Local taxi operators cannot do these.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • BLT Club on Jul 09, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    Better abolish the rent-seeking taxi companies. Let all qualified drivers register directly to SPAD or whichever government body. Taxi drivers to do annual medical checkup at government hospitals and reassement for driving capability every 3 years as requirement for license renewal. Taxi drivers can choose any car to be a taxi depending on what car model the taxi driver can afford. The taxi companies are making money of the sweat of these drivers, why enrich them? Liberalise the industry by giving leeway to the drivers. Then we can move forward. Else we will eventually be overtaken by other SEA economies.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • DrDrive on Jul 10, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    Well if you abolish PSV you actually remove driver training which I think is a bad idea.

    But then if you see it from SPAD’s perspective, it makes sense because PSV licenses are issued by JPJ – which means JPJ earns money from it. Abolishing it and replacing it with a SPAD driver’s card means that SPAD can now earn that money instead which is really good for SPAD but bad for JPJ – and this is why the JPJ guy is complaining.

    It’s common knowledge that internally UMNO works on a give-and-take system between people who aspire to be leaders of the party and the division chiefs who have control over the internal party support and are the “kingmakers”. So when a division chief supports you to become party president etc., you need to repay them by offering them positions, contracts etc. after you win.

    This is why SPAD is placed under the Prime Minister’s Office although common sense would say that SPAD should be under the Ministry of Transport or JPJ. SPAD is one of those places that you can use to reward those loyal to you. Because SPAD controls all the permits needed to operate a public transport company as well as all the rules and regulations of public transport, SPAD is a great place for any crooked politician to earn money from kickbacks and bribes from public transport operators. People who are loyal and people who support the leaders are given positions in SPAD where they can earn a nice living for themselves.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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