SPAD: Cabbie welfare proposals in by month’s end
Taxi drivers would reportedly be provided with “everything” if they signed up with the new system. — File picPUTRAJAYA, July 4 — Proposals for new models to replace the current taxi permit leasing system will be finalised and submitted to Putrajaya before end of this month, according to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) today.
SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said today his commission is sill “looking at parameters and mechanisms” of the proposed “taxi-co” or taxi company.
“We hope taxi drivers feel it can be professionally run and, at the same time, the taxi owners can have ownership of their taxi under taxi-co,” Syed Hamid told reporters today after the launch of the Tourism Taxi Ambassador programme here.
He explained the proposed system will look into the welfare of taxi drivers and provide financial management for ownership of their respective vehicles.
“But there are still lots of details to work out,” he added.
Yesterday, Syed Hamid was reported as saying taxi drivers would be provided with “everything” if they opted to join a proposed “taxi-co” or taxi company.
The idea is being pitched to stakeholders as part of the formulation of a new model for the industry.
Asked about the proposal to offer Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits to taxi drivers as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Sunday, Syed Hamid said it would “depend very much on the Ministry of Human Resources”.
“As announced by the PM, we will pursue to look into the welfare of taxi drivers,” he said, adding “it would be good if their companies can take good care of them”.
Najib had said the proposal was reasonable because there was no provision in the Socso scheme to cover self-employed Malaysians.
He also said that SPAD had been instructed to hold a dialogue with representatives of taxi associations to work out a new model for the taxi service industry.
The premier said the new model was important to ensure that the taxi service in the country was more efficient and satisfactory to the public, considering that there were many weaknesses in the existing system.
