ISKANDAR PUTERI: A majority of taxi and e-hailing drivers, including p-hailing riders, registered with the Transport Ministry have already received their vaccine jabs or appointment dates.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said his ministry had handed over details of 129,267 taxi and e-hailing drivers and 73,394 p-hailing riders for the vaccination process.
“As of July 29, our data shows that about 79% of taxi drivers and e-hailing drivers have received their vaccinations or their appointment dates.
“For p-hailing riders, about 71% of them have been vaccinated or received their respective appointment dates,” said Dr Wee, the MCA president and Ayer Hitam MP, after a visit to the Tanjung Pelepas Port industry vaccination centre (PPVIN) here yesterday.
He also said the government would finalise regulations that oversee p-hailing riders as soon as possible.
He added that the Transport Ministry had drafted a policy paper on the matter and it would be tabled for discussion at the Cabinet level.
“It is estimated that some 27% of delivery riders are not adhering to rules. They speed and commit traffic light violations.
“The rules that will be implemented are not only to regulate the registration stage, but also the operations of riders,” he said, adding that this mirrors a similar initiative taken to regulate the e-hailing sector.
“However, it must be remembered that this sector is a gig economy, so its regulation should not be too strict,” he said, adding that the implementation would take into account the interests of stakeholders such as companies and riders.
Dr Wee said the Transport Ministry had also obtained approval from the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) to open additional PPVIN in several states throughout the country.
There are currently six PPVIN to support the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
“The first PPVIN in Port Klang for the maritime sector and the second at KLIA for the aviation sector will benefit a total of 32,243 recipients.
“Three more facilities for the land public transport sector are also opened at Putra Heights LRT station, KL Sentral and Cheras Selatan Rapid Bus Complex, involving 6,512 rail and bus service workers from Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, MRT Corp, KTMB and ERL,” Dr Wee said, adding that PPVIN RedQ was opened on July 30 to vaccinate 2,500 AirAsia employees.
He said the ministry had obtained approval to open additional PPVINs for the transport sector in Johor, Penang, Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Selangor.
“There will also be additional doses for Port Klang to expedite vaccinations for seafarers, port workers and logistics sector employees,” he said, adding that all these were being done to benefit more than 54,000 transport workers in the country.
PTP PPVIN, the largest in the country, would benefit around 27,000 economic frontliners inclusive of employees, contractors, customers and other related stakeholders in the Johor industrial sector.
Dr Wee said the opening of these PPVIN was part of the larger efforts to expedite the delivery of vaccines to the transport sector, which is an essential service during the movement control order and National Recovery Plan.
“This is to ensure the movement of people and goods, including daily lives, is not hindered,” he said.