KUALA LUMPUR: E-hailing provider inDrive has written to the office of Transport Minister Anthony Loke over its price bidding system for passengers.
inDrive's Government Relations representative for Southeast Asia, Naufal Fauzi, confirmed this, saying that they sent their written responses to the minister's office on Saturday and are now awaiting further feedback.
Naufal said this after a recent news report quoting Loke, who said that the Ministry of Transport had not sanctioned any e-hailing service provider to implement a price bidding system for passengers in the country.
Loke also mentioned that the ministry was unaware of such a system and has instructed the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to investigate its usage among e-hailing drivers.
Loke said this during the 78th Road Transport Department Day Anniversary Celebration at the Malaysian Road Transport Academy in Melaka.
He added that APAD would thoroughly examine the matter.
The issue arose following the rising popularity of e-hailing applications utilising a bidding system, where drivers can set their own fares for a trip, and passengers can then bid on the fare, provided they agree to the rate.
However, this pricing model has sparked concerns among public transport users, as it appears to lead to higher fares for passengers.