Grab drivers cannot wait for passengers at airports, says RTD
FMT Reporters
-January 3, 2019 6:56 PM
E-hailing drivers are banned from soliciting or waiting for passengers at airports under amendments to the transport act, says the Road Transport Department.GEORGE TOWN: The Road Transport Department (RTD) today said Grab drivers and other e-hailing drivers are not supposed to solicit for rides or wait for passengers at any airports under existing laws.
In a statement today, RTD said this was as per the recently amended Land Public Transport Act (SPAD) 2010 which barred e-hailing drivers from doing so.
It said e-hailing drivers were only allowed to pick-up passengers through online apps supplied by companies such as Grab or others.
Those who failed to meet the terms stipulated could be fined under the SPAD Act and the Road Transport Act 1987, RTD said.
However, the statement does not say if it is an offence for a Grab driver, who is not waiting at the airport, to go and pick up a passenger who has used the online App to hail a ride.
The RTD also reminded e-hailing drivers of new rules they must comply with by July 12 if they wanted to continue picking up passengers.
First off, they are to obtain their Public Service Vehicle licence, obtain an e-hailing services licence and then get their vehicles inspected at Puspakom.
It is not clear if RTD had issued the statement following the case of a Grab driver receiving a summons for picking up passengers at the Penang International Airport on Jan 1.
The Grab driver was ordered to appear in court for “misuse of the Motor Vehicle License” – taking passengers – offence under the Road Transport Rules 2003.
Grab drivers interviewed by FMT said they would now avoid taking passengers from the airport, fearing a similar summons being issued to them.
A Grab spokesperson said the company was aware of the situation and was in the midst of helping drivers appeal against the summons.
“We are also in conversations with the authorities for a better way of moving forward.”
