PETALING JAYA: An association for taxi drivers says they are not unhappy with the government but two agencies tasked with implementing initiatives for cabbies.
In a statement, Gabungan Teksi SeMalaysia president Kamarudin Mohd Hussain said the two agencies are the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB).
He said taxi drivers are thankful the government has developed programmes to help them deal with the Covid-19 pandemic but are concerned that the plans will fail if not implemented properly.
Last April, the finance ministry announced that registered taxi drivers and tour guides would receive a one-off assistance of RM600 under Bantuan Prihatin Nasional to reduce their financial burden in the wake of the pandemic.
On Jan 18, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also introduced a new bus and taxi hire purchase rehabilitation scheme, which enabled operators to restructure their financing and enjoy a 12-month moratorium with lower monthly repayments.
Previously, Kamarudin said many taxi drivers say they have yet to receive the one-off payment of RM600 announced by the government last year.
In his statement today, Kamarudin said APAD and CVLB should work closely with taxi drivers to ensure the success of Putrajaya’s programmes.
“Today, most taxi drivers in the country are unhappy with the two agencies and the government needs to study why this is the case.”