Private school transport must be registered next year

Private school transport must be registered next year

Starting next year, private vans that ferry kids to school will have to register with the authorities as part of a standardisation and amnesty process, The Star reports. Transport minister Anthony Loke said this was necessary to create a more organised school transport system and to ensure safety of the pupils.

“It’s a very community-based service where the parents offer the driver some money to cover the fuel costs. It has been around for at least 30 years but the registration needs to be done so that parents are ensured a safer and more organised system of sending their children to the school,” he said yesterday.

“We are only targetting private vehicles like vans ferrying 15 to 20 students at any one time and are currently unregistered,” he added. Parents who send their own children and their friends to school will be exempted.

Loke recognised the need for private car school transport as there were insufficient school buses. “There is only one school bus for every 266 students. It is not enough. However, it becomes a grave concern if the driver does not meet the safety requirements. They have no insurance, they don’t go for the vehicle inspection and as they are not registered, we don’t know who they are,” he said.

The minister added that he’s expecting some resistance from such drivers, but stressed that the move was in the everyone’s best interests. This comes after the government put in place a timeline for the regulation of Grab and e-hailing drivers, who must next year undergo the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) course and get the PSV license, as required for taxi drivers. The period to comply is from January to July 2019.

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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

  • Matchy on Dec 05, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    Syabas Transport minister kuat kerja!
    Grab orso transport bawak budak skolah

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 3
    • New Government show a lot of good initiative. I am glad 60 years of corruption has left us for good

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 8
      • tiadaid (Member) on Dec 05, 2018 at 3:31 pm

        You won’t be cheering when you get hit with increased costs because of these actions.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 7
        • Yup….safety has to take a back seat when it comes to cost. That’s sarcasm by the way

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
        • lihwoei on Dec 06, 2018 at 9:55 am

          so what do you expect, implementing good thing which impacts to your pocket will consider as bad thing?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
        • Yes it is. The safety will cost you. You can save not to opt for safety, but when its fail, it will cost you more than you could afford.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • haha… kena register, kena tax la macam ni

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 1
  • Yew Chee Yong on Dec 05, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    I am everyday picking my son from school after my work and together with my neighbor son, is that mean i have to report and register as well?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 8
    • Sohai on Dec 05, 2018 at 3:56 pm

      If you collect money from your neighbor, then you need to register

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
    • “We are only targetting private vehicles like vans ferrying 15 to 20 students at any one time and are currently unregistered,” he added. Parents who send their own children and their friends to school will be exempted.”

      Please read the whole article before commenting.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 1
  • Carbon on Dec 05, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    Too many new regulations for a new govt. Pls review and ensure you’re able to enforce existing ones, before coming out with new ones. Yes it’s good to have better regulations for safety reasons, but regulations without enforcement is useless, and definitely not a popular decision for a newly formed govt.
    Child seats, hind passenger seat belts, mat rempits, clone cars, plenty of issues to clean up before rolling out new ones. Take it slow Mr minister.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 6
  • Kenneth fook on Dec 05, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    This joker setting more and more ridiculous guidelines and license. The majority of ppl that make up to be grab drivers, school bus drivers are all middle income which are also the majority. Wonder how long is this going to last.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 77 Thumb down 17
    • Md.Adnan on Dec 05, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      Betui. previous Transport minister rilek onli

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
      • rilek bro on Dec 05, 2018 at 5:30 pm

        he should just be like the previous 1. diam diam apa pun tak buat, ambik gaji ok dah. later anak kita kena kidnap by van driver, baru panic la. masa tu boleh la kita blame gov take no action earlier. best jugak. lol

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 8
  • John Minum Teh 8X on Dec 05, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    This should have been done long ago. Lucky Loke has brains and is doing it now.

    Too many accidents, assault, sexual offences have been committed in the past involving children. Pity our old Ministers had no vision to protect our children

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 15
  • Sparcov on Dec 05, 2018 at 3:20 pm

    Always there is Pro and Cons. If everyone abide the law and follow it that will be easy.

    We need a daring head to implement the long outstanding issue. If everyone play try and see game, our country will forever in 3rd world mentality.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • right bro on Dec 05, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      you are right bro. people voted for change. but when change kick in, they prefer remain as is it. They only look at the negative side of it.

      Gov change, rakyat no change. same je.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
      • Chnage name saja, but its the same old politicians from Older MY in charge now. 2×5 = 5×2.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • Why you don’t focus on more important things like getting rid of Mat rempits, beating traffic lights, traffic jams, bad roads, tolls etc?

    So far e-hailing has suffered under your watch ….

    But still you are a million times better than BN!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
    • lihwoei on Dec 06, 2018 at 9:59 am

      i don’t expect 100% change/improve in this year, as long as don’t implement the thing like “white shoes to black shoes”, study 1st b4 implement. your are Menteri not “duitMari”

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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