Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said the applications for licences for e-hailing drivers and taxi operators who wished to be involved in e-hailing services would be opened from Jan 1, 2019.

“After 12 July 2019, we will enforce the new rules where all e-hailing drivers will have to obtain a PSV license, to have insurance for their vehicles and vehicles over three years must go for inspections,” he said.

Speaking after meeting Big Blue Taxi Facilities Sdn Bhd adviser Shamsubahrin Ismail earlier, he said e-hailing drivers operating without PSV licences after the enforcement date might be issued summonses or face other action.

He said this is because they would be violating the Land Public Transport Act 2010.

On another note, Loke also encouraged taxi operators to embrace the e-hailing services as they could earn more with e-hailing while still operating their traditional street-hailing services.

He said taxi operators could no longer reject e-hailing services as it would benefit them too.

“We are open to any companies. We don’t want just one company to monopolise the e-hailing services.

“If there are more players in the market then there will be a healthy competition that will end up benefitting the consumers,” he said.

However, Loke denied that the enforcement had anything to do with the recent hike in e-hailing fares, adding that it all depended on the service operators.

Earlier, the minister had a 45-minute meeting with Shamsubahrin in Parliament over the concerns and woes faced by taxi drivers.

This followed a threat by the Gabungan Teksi Se-Malaysia coalition, representing over a hundred taxi drivers’ associations, to continue protesting at the transport ministry if Loke failed to personally meet cabbies to hear their complaints.