JPJ: RM1k aid for taxi, school bus drivers to be paid from next week; telematics mandatory for commercial vehicles
The RM1,000 one-off aid for taxi and school bus drivers announced in Budget 2027 will be paid out starting next week, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) said in a statement. The payment, which was announced by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he tabled the budget yesterday, is funded by proceeds from the bidding for the specialH series number plates.
JPJ said this shows that its collections are also being channelled back to the public, particularly to drivers who play an important role in the country’s transport services. The aid is expected to benefit38,000 taxi and hire car drivers as well as 15,000 school bus driversnationwide.
The department, together with the transport ministry (MOT), also welcomed the move to make telematics systems mandatory for commercial vehicles. These systems will be used to monitor speed, location and risky driving patterns, with the potential to be integrated with alcohol detection devices.
Implementation will be voluntary until 2027 to give operators time to prepare, while a driver database is being developed to support more effective enforcement.
On the same day the budget was tabled, a 10-tonne tipper lorry travelling against the flow of traffic crashed into vehicles in the opposite lane at the Alam Budiman traffic lights along Jalan Mokhtar Dahari in Shah Alam,NSTreports. Four people, three men and a woman, were injured in the crash, which was caught on video and has gone viral on social media.
According to Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ashrul Riezal Asbar, one of the men was trapped and suffered critical head injuries, another sustained abdominal injuries and the third had minor injuries, while the woman suffered moderately critical head injuries. All four were extricated and handed over to health ministry personnel for treatment.
The third measure highlighted by JPJ is the amendment of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) to require drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs who cause accidents topay compensation to their victims. JPJ said the move would not only strengthen action against offenders, but also ensure that victims and their families receive proper redress.
The MOT and JPJ said they are committed to making sure the Budget 2027 initiatives are carried out effectively, including by working with relevant agencies such as the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) on health screenings for commercial vehicle drivers.
