Transport Ministry releases guidelines for p-hailing services

CORONAVIRUS | The Transport Ministry has released guidelines for food, drinks and parcel delivery services using motorcycles, or parcel-hailing (p-hailing), for the duration of the movement control order (MCO).

Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong (above) said companies providing services using motorcycles for online delivery of food, drinks and parcels must adhere to the stipulated guidelines.

The guidelines, among others, make it compulsory for the riders to possess a valid driver’s licence, be at least 18-years-old and not blacklisted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) or police.

Apart from obeying traffic rules, such as wearing helmets and using gazetted motorcycle lanes if available, boxes carried by the riders must also adhere to dimensions set by the RTD, he said.

“All operators and riders must place emphasis on health issues, practice social distancing and use contactless transaction where possible,” Wee said in a statement yesterday.

He said riders should sanitise their delivery boxes daily according to guidelines set by the Health Ministry.

If any staff is infected with Covid-19, the company must assist and give full cooperation to the Health Ministry in managing and carrying out contact tracing, he said.

“For p-hailing services registered with local authorities, any rider who contracts Covid-19 or have symptoms must immediately take precautionary steps, including self-quarantine and stop providing delivery services,” he said, while advising p-hailing riders not to use interstate highways to travel more than 10 kilometres.

“Riders should also adhere to the advisories issued by the National Security Council (NSC), including not entering the red zones. This is to protect the safety of those who have to travel long distances and to curb the spread of the virus.” 

He said the operating hours were also limited to between 8am and 8pm, while the operating hours and types of goods permitted to be delivered were subject to zonal restrictions and regulations stipulated by the NSC.

Wee, who said all riders must carry authorisation letters from their employers or local authorities, added that p-hailing riders must also download and register themselves under the mySejahtara app handled by the NSC and show it as proof of registration to enforcement authorities. 

- Bernama