MoT: Delivery riders will soon require GDL

In an effort to further regulate E- and P-hailing services in Malaysia, food and package delivery riders will soon need to obtain a Goods Driving Licence, or GDL. This was announced by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Wee Ka Siong during a dialogue session with representatives of the E-Hailing and P-hailing associations recently.

After three pieces of legislation—the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act of 1987 [Act 334], the Land Public Transport Act of 2010 [Act 715], and the Road Transport Act of 1987 [Act 333]—are revised, the requirement is anticipated to take effect. The legislation will be presented for discussion and adoption at the following session of Parliament.

According to Dr. Wee, the changes are being made for the aim of regulating and supervising, and the opinions of many interested parties will be taken into consideration. The GDL requirement, he continued, was put in place to help the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to track of the number of delivery riders rather than to burden them.

The renewal fee of a GDL for E-hailing drivers is RM20 per year, which is the same as the cost of a PSV licence, according to JPJ's website. A GDL is a licence that is frequently needed by those operating commercially registered cars for the transportation of commodities. This comprises panel vans, articulated trucks, and lorries. Currently, a GDL licence holder must be at least 21 years old. According to Dr. Wee, the future changes will reduce the eligibility age for GDL to at least 18 years old, allowing more youths to work as P-hailing riders.

In order to ensure that the industry maintains its competitiveness, the minister further stated that the MoT and pertinent organisations will supervise the P-hailing service. According to him, the conditions would include insurance protection requirements for riders and are intended to guarantee the wellbeing of any passengers or drivers of the involved cars.

Although the ministry wants to tighten up regulations for P-hailing, the new restrictions could be perceived as a barrier to attracting new riders, and there is a chance that existing riders will stop using the platform. Adding more drivers to meet the demand is difficult for E-hailing companies because of regulatory requirements.

Grab claims that the laws put in place in 2019 caused new drivers to be onboarded more slowly, failing to keep up with the demand's strong rise. The prerequisites for new drivers included instruction, tests at driving schools, inspections, the purchase of insurance, and submitting paperwork to various government organisations for processing. The speed at which new driver-partners could join the team is structurally limited by these restrictions, it was further stated.