Local e-hailing operator Maxim has been hauled up by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) over a violation of the Land Public Transport Act 2010. More specifically, it has been discovered that the service has been allowing vehicles under its charge to operate without a valid e-hailing vehicle permit (eVP), which breaches Section 12A(5) of the Act.
In a statement released today on 10 March 2023, JPJ said Maxim has been caught committing the offence in Putrajaya and the city of Kuantan in Pahang during the nationwide Ops eHailing shakeup, which aims to weed out unregistered vehicles as well as those operating without an eVP. The department reports that, out of 5,000 vehicles under the Maxim service, only 402 have valid permits.
JPJ said it has seized several documents and equipment such as computers, advertising boards, banners and buntings after conducting a sting operation at Maxim’s headquarters. All items are confiscated in connection with an investigation under Section 222 of Land the Public Transport Act 2010, it added.
“Companies wishing to carry out the business of e-hailing and provision of an e-hailing system to drivers must be registered and licensed under Apad or the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB),” JPJ wrote in its official statement. If found guilty, companies allowing e-hailing vehicles to operate without an EVP can be prosecuted under Section 12A(9) of the Act, which provides for a fine of between RM 1,000 and RM 500,000, or jail of up to two years.
Since 2019, the government has enforced eVP for drivers operating under e-hailing services such as Grab and so on. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time a similar service has been hauled up by JPJ, with the most recent being InDriver Malaysia back in September of last year, which was caught operating with an expired licence.
In addition, JPJ is advising passengers to ensure that the e-hailing apps they are using are actually registered and licensed by checking with the LPTA (Land Public Transport Agency) or CVLB (Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board) portals. “This is to ensure that passengers will enjoy insurance protection in the event of an accident when using the service,” it added.
(Source: Bernama / JPJ [Facebook])
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