PETALING JAYA: More than 50,000 taxi, e-haling and p-hailing drivers and riders will have their respective vaccinations expedited as part of the Transport Ministry’s drive to ensure these workers are protected, says Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic). Dr Wee said the Transport Ministry has been collecting names from companies in the industry since mid-June, with eligible recipients notified by the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) on their vaccination schedules.

       Dr Wee said CITF will begin rescheduling the vaccination appointments of 41,488 taxi and e-hailing drivers, and 11,527 p-hailing riders.

       “An additional list of around 57,931 p-hailing riders has also been submitted for CITF’s consideration.

       “We will work with CITF to arrange for others to be vaccinated as quickly as possible,” he said on Facebook yesterday.

       Dr Wee said a press release will be issued once the ministry has received more details, adding that it aims to vaccinate 40,000 taxi drivers, 110,000 e-hailing drivers and 154,000 p-hailing riders nationwide as soon as possible.

       He was also optimistic of achieving the target of getting 80% of taxi and e-hailing drivers vaccinated by National Day on Aug 31.

       “This is what we are striving for together with CITF, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Sarawak, due to worrying numbers of confirmed cases,” he added.

       Dr Wee was responding to a Facebook post by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, who said that such drivers must not be left out of the national inoculation drive.