Last week, the Land Transport Department (JPJ) issued a statement claiming that most of Maxim eHailing drivers are operating without the required eHailing Vehicle Permit (EVP). From their monitoring and intelligence, it is mentioned that the eHailing operator has allowed unregistered eHailing vehicles to operate around Putrajaya and Pahang which is a violation of Section 12A(5) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
Only 402 out of 5,000 active Maxim vehicles have EVP
Based on information obtained by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), it is alleged that only 402 out of 5,000 active Maxim vehicles in Malaysia have a valid EVP, which is about 8%. Violators can be slapped with a fine between RM1,000 to RM500,000 or imprisoned for not more than 2 years. JPJ also reminded any companies that wish to offer an eHailing platform to register themselves for a licence with the Land Public Transport Agency or the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board. Meanwhile, commuters are urged to only book rides on registered platforms with licenced drivers.
Maxim’s response on the matter
Today, Maxim has issued a statement to respond to JPJ’s statement. According to the eHailing provider, it confirmed that JPJ has conducted an investigation at their Kuantan headquarters and found that Maxim Malaysia allowed Partner Drivers to operate without a valid EVP. Maxim also added that they have provided their full cooperation to the authorities by providing all supporting documents, valid eHailing licences from APAD as well as the driver’s list and advertising materials used for marketing campaigns.
The eHailing operator says they have always advised its Partner-Drivers to maintain their eHailing insurance and to ensure their vehicle registration period is not over 10 years old, as well as providing complete documents for Maxim Malaysia to obtain EVPs for them.
Maxim also said that the claim of having just 402 partners with valid EVP is inaccurate as they have more EVP-licenced drivers in West Malaysia. It added that figures obtained from APAD show that the number of drivers with EVP was significantly higher than what was mentioned in the statement issued by JPJ. Maxim didn’t share the number or percentage of its eHailing partners with valid EVPs, however, it did mention that they have over a thousand drivers with complete documents ready to obtain EVPs from Maxim Malaysia.
Maxim added that the entire eHailing industry was badly affected financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic with many driving schools closed down which causes congestion for PSV courses and a long period of time before Partner Drivers can obtain their PSVs. To reduce their burden, Maxim Malaysia has introduced low commissions and additional benefits for their Partner Drivers.
Maxim is currently listed as a licensed eHailing provider with APAD under the company name AIST Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
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