KUALA LUMPUR – The government has no intentions to regulate e-hailing charges in the near future, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke (Seremban-PH).
The minister told the Dewan Rakyat today that this is because suggestions for the government to impose a minimum charge on e-hailing fares could lead to passengers forking out more money for their rides.
“If we increase the (minimum) rate, it will have an implication for passengers as their ride fares will increase. Then, lawmakers will return to the Dewan to raise complaints about increased passengers’ fares,” Loke said.
He said this in response to a query from Datuk Larry Sng (Julau-PBM) on whether the government will be taking any action, particularly on measures to increase drivers’ income, after having met with e-hailing companies.
“E-hailing utilises a dynamic pricing mechanism that relies on supply and demand. So, the matter must be looked at as a whole and not just based on singular trips.
“The rate may be low sometimes, but overall, it’s still worth it (for drivers),” Loke added, noting that there will be ongoing discussions with e-hailing companies on internal strategies to incentivise drivers.
He also said that the government is not considering, at this time, proposals to raise the current ceiling on the commission percentage received by e-hailing companies.
“The ceiling rate for commissions that can be taken by e-hailing companies is currently at 20%, and we’ll maintain this for the time being.” – November 14, 2023