New law reins in Uber, GrabCar drivers in Sabah

Drivers providing ride sharing services in Sabah have to be on par with taxi drivers, with PSV licence and vehicle inspection by Puspakom.

KOTA KINABALU: Uber and GrabCar drivers will have to adhere to the same rules as their taxi counterparts from next month, Sabah’s Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) said today.

That is when the new law regulating ride sharing services will come into effect in the state.

The new law requires Uber and GrabCar drivers to meet the same requirements as taxi drivers in a move that is said to level the playing field between the two industries.

“The new law regulating Uber and GrabCar drivers has been gazetted but the enforcement start date has not been announced,” CVLB chairman Raimi Unggi said at a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue for those involved in public transportation in the state.

“The CVLB will have a lab or discussion with taxi associations next month, during which we’ll hear the opinions of taxi drivers. We will then announce when the new regulations will take effect.”

Earlier at the same function, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said some taxi drivers in the peninsula have since left and joined the ride sharing services.

“In the peninsula, 600 taxi drivers joined Uber and 2,200 are now with GrabCar.

“However, we don’t have the details yet on the outcome of their joining the ride sharing platforms,” she said.

Nancy said this is not to say she encourages taxi drivers to join the services, although taxi drivers have both options of following the taxi and ride sharing fare rules if they join up.

“Many taxi drivers have requested that their fares be brought down to the level of Uber and GrabCar’s fares to remain competitive,” she said.

“What I’d like to stress is taxi drivers can charge less than the prescribed taxi fares.

“The taxi fares only act as a ceiling. Taxi drivers can charge fares even lower than that of Uber and GrabCar. It’s up to them.”

Nancy also said the government encourages the taxi industry to keep pace with modernisation.

“We don’t want to see the taxi industry cease to exist in the country.

“The government is fully behind the taxi industry, and we’d like to encourage them to stay abreast of new trends,” she said.

With the new legislation, Uber and GrabCar drivers will have to get their vehicles certified by Puspakom.

They also have to take a public services vehicle (PSV) licence, like their taxi driving counterparts. FMT