The government has allocated RM2 million to provide 4,000 vocational public service vehicle (PSV) licences for free to the B40 group through its national-level MyPSV programme for 2023. The initiative, first announced back in May, is an expansion of the MyLesen license assistance programme.

Transport minister Anthony Loke, who launched the programme yesterday, said that 3,500 PSV licences were being given to ride-hailing and taxi drivers, while the remaining 500 PSVs were for bus drivers. He added that the allocation covered the cost of testing and training at a rate of RM190 for each PSV ride-hailing/taxi driver, while Class E PSVs for bus candidates was RM2,590 per driver.

Besides assisting the B40 group, he said the initiative is aimed at meeting the needs of the transport industry, which is experiencing a chronic shortage of bus drivers. “The country needs thousands of bus drivers, not only by Prasarana, but also express bus and stage bus companies,” he said, as reported by Bernama.

Loke said the initiative was part of the government’s responsibility and commitment to open up opportunities and space for the people to improve their socio-economic status and household income through job opportunities in the public transport service sector. It will also directly support and improve the survival of the public transport and tourism sectors in the country, he added.

He said the MyPSV programme will produce competent and safe bus, taxi and ride-hailing drivers, as the eligible applicants would be required to undergo training and tests to ensure their competence before being issued the PSV licence and allowed to drive public service vehicles.

Candidates under the MyPSV bus programme will be required to attend the vocational theory course as well as training and practical tests covering circuits and roads equivalent to the existing regulations. As for candidates under the MyPSV e-hailing programme, they will only need to attend and complete a theory course since the PSV and goods driving licence (GDL) theory exams were abolished.