Confusion reigns over the lack of SOPs for driving institutes

 

Driving institutes and candidates are stuck in limbo over SOPs following the recent announcement that the institutes would reopen from Sept 9.

A driving institute owner told Malaysiakini that he was waiting for more SOPs to be issued before the institutes could resume classes — a decision many candidates and their parents fail to understand.

“Candidates and parents don’t understand that there are SOPs that we need to comply with.

“They maintain that if the government allows us to operate in full force and question why SOPs are needed, as well as the decision to resume operations next week,” the owner, who did not want to be named, said.

On Tuesday, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong announced that driving schools would be open on an appointment-only basis for those who have been fully vaccinated.

Institutes are permitted to operate based on the percentage of employees that have been vaccinated: 40 percent of employees vaccinated permits 60 percent of current staff to work; 60 percent of employees vaccinated permits 80 percent of current staff to work; 80 percent of employees vaccinated permits the entire centre to operate at full strength.

However, while institutes were given the green light to operate yesterday, examination processes to obtain driving licences will only begin on Sept 17 to allow the Road Transport Department (RTD) and institutes to manage any arising issues that the candidates may face.

The owner claimed the ministry should have clarified this in their announcement, as many did not understand the reasoning behind the decision.

He also said that candidates’ parents were asking if it was safe to carry out the car driving lessons at the present moment.

“I personally think it is not the safest. Everything conducted requires air-conditioning — both theory and practical lessons.

“How is that safe? We don’t want to take the blame if anyone contracts Covid-19,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the owner of another driving institute told Malaysiakini that they have to set their own SOPs to ensure that everyone is safe.

“We haven’t been able to work in a while. It definitely isn’t safe to sit in a car for prolonged hours without knowing where the person has been previously.

“But we need to open and operate — otherwise driving institutes will have no choice but to close.

“It isn’t our responsibility to set the SOPs but that of the JPJ, which is yet to do so,” this owner said.

Malaysiakini is attempting to reach out to RTD for further comment on the matter.

Both owners said there was a heavy backlog of students, making it difficult to accommodate the expectations of all the students.

“As soon as our industry reopens, parents and driving candidates will be in a rush to complete their driving course.

“However it’s almost impossible for the driving industry to meet their expectations as the pandemic has created a huge backlog due to it being closed for several months — approximately seven to eight months in total since the first lockdown from March 2020,” said one of the owners.

He pleaded for candidates and their parents to understand the crisis currently faced by the driving institutes. - Mkini