Minister Anthony Loke disclosed that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) has not allowed any e-hailing service provider from implementing a price bidding system for passengers in the country.
He stated that the ministry had not been informed about this practice and, as a precautionary measure, directed the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to investigate the current system used by e-hailing drivers, according to Bernama.
“APAD will look into this, and as far as I know we haven’t approved any such system,” he remarked.
Loke made these remarks in response to inquiries regarding the increasing popularity of e-hailing applications employing a bidding system, allowing drivers to set their fares before customers bid on them, provided both parties agree on the fare rate.
However, this system has sparked concerns among public transport users, as it seemingly obliges passengers to pay inflated prices, primarily benefiting the drivers.
One such e-hailing app that uses the price bidding system is inDrive.
This system enables passengers to propose their fare, which drivers can either accept or counter with a higher amount. Passengers then have the option to agree to the fare or wait for a different offer.
The company said they have written to the office of Transport Ministry and they are now now awaiting further feedback, according to NST.
