KUALA LUMPUR: There will not be a ceiling price for domestic airfare tickets during the festive season, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
“During festive seasons, tickets are expensive, and (previously) we have asked the airlines to have a fixed rate.
“They do have a fixed rate to certain destinations. The increase in flight tickets is due to market forces,“ the Transport Minister said in a press conference after the launching of a new express bus at the Tasik Selatan Intergrated Terminal (TBS) here today.
He acknowledged that there have been calls to have a ceiling rate for airfares.
“However, if this is done, airlines would increase the rate on normal days. This has been discussed (with stakeholders) before, and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has conducted a study on it.
“In conclusion, we will not have a ceiling price, but will continue the monitor the situation that the demand (for consumers) is met,“ he said.
Asked if the ministry has outlined a procedure for e-hailing drivers who are persons with disabilities (PWD) to undertake their Public Service Vehicle (PSV) license, he assured that the community will be able to do so at the ministry’s one-stop centre.
“We have stated before to not worry because we will have one day especially for them. Everything will be there. There will also be medical experts to conduct their medical check up, take up the course and undergo the examination. I understand what they want. We will have a one-stop centre. This will be done after Hari Raya. We will make sure before July 12 they will be entitled to get the PSV,“ he said.
He added that currently, there are 400 PWD applicants.
He was referring to some grouses from the community who had questioned how they would be able to obtain their PSVs without a procedure in place.
A PSV license is a vocational driving permit that allows the holder to drive any type of commercial vehicle which is used for paying passengers such as taxis and buses. The annual fee for a PSV license is RM115.
To qualify for the PSV license, a person will have to attend a special six-hour course at a designation driving institution.
